In Lieu of Retrospection
by yaba
Summary: While the murder of a cabaret dancer leads the team to investigate a well liked local politician, Jane comes to a few unexpected realizations. Six months after 2.22. Jane/Lisbon. A Secret Summer Santa Gift for lil smiles.
1. Part I

**In Lieu of Retrospection**

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Rating: T

Spoiler: Six months after 2.22 (Red Letter)

A/N: For SSS, lil smiles requested a case fic, which immediately put me in a state of permanent anxiety. However, I managed to recover and this is the result. I hope you guys enjoy it, and most importantly Rach, when you finally get the chance to read this, I hope it's what you were looking for!

xxx

Part I

The question catches him off guard.

Not only because it's Lisbon who is asking, but also because he doesn't have a straight answer for her. He hasn't really thought about it in weeks, months even, so it's a little weird that Lisbon would bring it up, out of the blue.

Jane is grateful he's facing away from her when she poses the query; it gives him a moment to recover from his surprise.

"Why do you ask?" He deflects, keeping himself busy by pouring the sauce over the noodles and stirring, the strong aroma of spices actually making his mouth water a little.

"I don't know," Lisbon continues, and he can picture her shrugging as she picks apart a piece of bread and dips it gingerly into olive oil, even though he specifically told her not to fill up before dinner.

The reflection makes him smile, makes him think about how well he knows her. He derails the train of thought immediately, finding that path too dangerous as he transfers the penne to two plates.

"Kristina seemed like a very nice woman, I was just wondering why things didn't work out between you guys. It seemed like a good match."

There's a slight sting of disappointment at her words, and Jane can't figure out why. He never really thought Lisbon liked Frye all that much, but as he looks over his shoulder at her and she guiltily swallows another mouthful of bread, he wonders if maybe he'd been imagining it. Perhaps he'd wanted her not to like Kristina, so he'd believed it.

After all, Lisbon never gave off the vibe that she disliked the redhead. At that thought, an unwelcome discomfort sets in, so he quickly pushes the ruminations away, and places the food on the table.

Lisbon's eyes light up as the steam rises from the pasta. Before she can grab the block of parmesan sitting besides her wine glass, Jane is already grating some onto her plate.

She smiles her thanks and pours them both a bit of wine. As the dark red liquid fills his glass, it reminds Jane of his date with Kristina those months back. He still isn't sure how to answer Lisbon's question. Nothing really went wrong between Kristina and him, no dramatic falling out between lovers, not that they really were.

It had started out casually and smoothly, and it faded out in the same way. He didn't feel regret when they'd lost touch, and he can't really say even now who stopped calling whom first. Jane does know, however, that he doesn't miss Kristina all that much, despite her being a fascinating woman and a great conversationalist.

He did have a good time with her on that first date and the couple after that, and he did look forward to seeing her when they made plans, but there was something missing.

At the time he wasn't sure what it was, having been out of the dating game for so long, and really he couldn't be bothered to decipher the mysterious missing piece. It was much easier to just enjoy Kristina's company for the little while that he had than to dissect why it felt almost too predictable to be with her.

He gave up on wondering about that a while ago and now that Lisbon has brought it up, he's even a little amused that Lisbon thought they'd been a good match.

"Why do you say that?" Jane asks after a few moments of silence.

Lisbon looks up from her pasta, quirking her eyebrow, "Why did I say what?"

"That Kristina and I were a 'good match'? I'm just curious." Jane explains, finding the confusion marring Lisbon's face humorous.

She obviously expects him to know the answer, but apparently his keen observational skills do not extend into his personal life.

He could have sworn Lisbon didn't like Kristina…

Her mouth curls a little, and she smiles at him in that way that she usually does when he's said something particularly off the wall. The admiration that he feels is a little bit like warmth spreading through his veins.

It makes him keenly aware of how close they're sitting next to each other, knees almost brushing underneath the table. He takes a hefty pull from his wine glass, if only to find something on which to blame his flutter of excitement.

"You can't seriously be asking me that?" Lisbon stares at him for a moment before realizing Jane has no idea what she's alluding to, "you always complain about being bored, you practically wish for new cases because they're like a puzzle to solve-…"

"Well Sudoku can get a little repetitive, but it's not like I wish for people to die so I can have some excitement, I'm not that morbid."

He's not sure why he interrupts her, but he has this deep need to banter with her, to challenge her in some way…maybe she is right. Maybe he is bored most of the time, but it still doesn't explain anything about Kristina.

"I know," Lisbon agrees, spearing some pasta onto her fork, "I just figured Kristina could be a challenge for you, someone who matches you intellectually and, you know…psychically."

She says this so nonchalantly, as if she wholeheartedly believes it, that Jane finds his appetite fading away very quickly. He sets his fork down and looks at her, as Lisbon continues to eat, finding nothing wrong with what she said.

"First of all, you know my position on psychics, and second of all, you cannot possibly think that I'll only be intellectually stimulated by somebody with similar powers of observation, that's just preposterous."

It's Lisbon's turn to stop eating and lean back to meet his gaze. He looks a little concerned, but in a sort of petulant way that reminds Lisbon of how her brothers used to look when they got mad at her as children, arms crossed over their chests and looks of exaggerated displeasure on their faces.

After a minute, a sly smile spreads over her lips as she playfully nudges him on the shoulder. "Why are you getting so defensive, hmm? Is it because by my admission I've narrowed down your dating pool to clairvoyants, presumed mind readers, and women who claim they channel the dead?"

The teasing words roll easily off her tongue, steering the conversation away from any tension that may have arisen. She hadn't meant to offend him; she was genuinely curious as to why, after finding a sudden interest in the redheaded psychic and spending less time napping on his couch after hours, not a month later he was back to leaving the office with her in the wee hours of the morning.

Her own lack of a social life should depress her, but Lisbon made peace with that a while ago, so all her attention is on Jane and his prospective happiness, because after all she does want him to be happy.

He's become a friend to her, a more permanent fixture in her life, both at work and at home. This is probably the third night this week that they've spent at her house, usually brainstorming about the current case or watching whatever movie was on the TLC network.

She's grown to care for him, and although she was a little caught off guard and perhaps maybe a tiny bit envious when he started spending more time with Kristina Frye, she put her best poker face on and let him know in her own subtle way that she supported him moving on.

They've never really discussed _that_ part of their lives together, not even as they've grown a lot closer in the last six months, but Lisbon is certain he hadn't dipped his toes into the dating pool since his wife passed. Frye, if anything, seemed like the logical choice. So when Jane started to reappear in the bullpen after hours more often, as much as she liked their old routine, she was, still is, curious about this quickly fizzled out courtship between him and the self-proclaimed psychic.

In her reverie, Lisbon doesn't notice Jane watching her intently. He knows she's merely trying to alleviate the tension with her playful jab, but he can't let go of this nagging feeling in his gut, like there's something he's not seeing here.

The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that there was indeed something missing between him and Kristina. It's not that he wasn't attracted to her, both mentally and physically, and it's not like they didn't have anything in common, but there was still something that didn't quite fit.

He's learned a long time ago, both from people watching and personal experience, that just because something sounded good in theory, didn't mean it actually worked in real life.

After all, when he first joined Lisbon's team, no one thought it would work. They were like oil and water, people said, and yet here they are.

Four years, dozens of lawsuits, and four broken noses later, and they were still partners, still working together now with a better understanding of each other than ever before. It fills him with a sense of gratitude and warmth that he rarely allows himself and just like that, he's grinning and Lisbon raises an eyebrow at him.

It's clear an idea has somehow planted itself in that curly head of his, and she can probably bet a month's salary that she'll be on the receiving end of his next trick.

"So, since we're on the subject of dating, when was the last time you, Teresa Lisbon, had one?"

And she's right.

"Had one what?" She deadpans, reaching for another piece of bread to busy her hands, even though the direction of this conversation is actually making her lose her appetite a little.

Jane fixes her with a knowing, slightly annoyed stare, as if to warn her he knows she's playing dumb to avoid answering him, and he won't let her off the hook.

"A date, dear? When was the last time you were accompanied by a person of the opposite sex to a social function, dinner, film, or mini golf?"

"Mini golf?" Lisbon looks at him archly, hand wrapping instinctively around her wine glass, if only to find something on which to blame her increasingly flushed complexion.

"Meh, you know what I mean." Jane waves her off with his fork, continuing to eat as he gauges her reaction.

It's obvious to them both that he knows she hasn't been on a date in quite some time. Either that or she's exceptionally clever at hiding such occurrences, which is nearly impossible since Jane seems to shadow her every move at work, assessing her moods, predicting her after hours activities, and sometimes even partaking in them.

All this registers pretty quickly in Lisbon's mind, and she realizes that there's no use lying to Jane. So instead as she picks at a piece of broccoli on her plate, she tries to phrase her answer in a way that doesn't make her seem pathetic.

"I don't really keep track, but I think my last date was around the time Van Pelt joined our team."

She ducks her eyes away from him so she doesn't immediately see the aghast expression on Jane's face as he drops his fork with a clink against the plate. He'd expected as much, but to actually hear it causes a slight pressure in his chest that he's not used to.

It's almost beyond him how a woman of Lisbon's stature, intelligence, and looks could last so long without male attention. It alarms him greatly.

"That's almost two years ago," He exclaims, and when Lisbon looks at him with a trace of hurt lingering in her green eyes, he immediately regrets it.

"Lisbon, that's not what I-…"

"No, it's alright," she cuts him off as expected, looks back down at her plate, "it's not like I'm in want of a partner and haven't been able to find one. I'm just busy, that's all."

The slight shrug of her shoulder and the way she peers at him uncertainly but also defiantly through hooded lashes reminds Jane of the vulnerability lingering beneath the surface of this woman each and every day. The fact that he sometimes forgets about that is testament to how incredibly convincing her daily professional façade is.

Guilt wraps around him unwittingly, sobering him as his mind unwillingly reflects on the last year and how difficult it's been for her.

Being accused of murder, then simultaneously losing both an old mentor and a endearing boss, and gaining a new supervisor that seems to be way too harsh will worn anyone out, and he has the sudden urge to wrap her in a hug, pour some comfort into her.

He ignores the possibility that there might be an ulterior motive for his sudden desire for a physical connection and picks up his fork again, back to his default setting, his own façade.

They eat in silence for a few strained moments, before Jane speaks again.

"You know what you need," He says leaning in a little closer, almost pointing his fork right into Lisbon's face.

"What?" she asks, exasperated sigh strategically in place, even though there's a glint of excitement meandering in her eye.

"I think you need a very fun, stress free night out. I don't even remember the last time you had a day off, and apparently you haven't gone on a proper date in a very, very long time-…"

"Stop right there." Lisbon halts him, "I am not going out on a date with you."

Jane looks at her strangely for a moment, leaning back to really study her face, before breaking out into another megawatt smile. "That's cute. Seriously, Lisbon, I find it so very interesting that you jump to the conclusion that I would suggest myself for the role of your counterpart, very interesting indeed."

A year ago, maybe even six months prior, she would have been mortified after this kind of speech, but now, very recently, she's learned to spot chinks in Jane's armor too and holds onto her belief about what he was going to suggest even as he teases her.

"Nice try, Jane, but who were you going to suggest besides yourself? It's not like I have men lining up outside my door." She feels a little smug at her reply to him, feeling a little accomplished that she was able to blindside him a little, even if the truth depresses her.

Jane, however, just looks at her thoughtfully for a moment, eyes narrowed, before he begins listing off names, "Maskowitz from the 3rd floor. The older guy from payroll, not the one who still likes Van Pelt, but the other distinguished-looking one, what's his name? I can never remember. Oh, the weekend security guard, Carl, he practically salivates in your presence. And what about the waiter from that Mexican place you like four blocks from the office, did you even realize he broke two plates Monday night, because he was too busy staring at you?"

Lisbon stops chewing as she looks at him, green eyes shining with a mixture of confusion and slight embarrassment, but there's a sparkle lurking in there somewhere and Jane is the one who leans back self-assuredly now. She stares at him for a moment longer before breaking into the most melodic laugh he's ever heard.

"What?" He deadpans, "it's not like I said anyone of them is half decent, but you definitely do not suffer from a shortage of suitors, I can assure you of that."

He winks at her and resumes eating, but something warm passes through her, and Lisbon can't look away from him, food almost completely forgotten despite how delicious it is.

"So that's it, huh?" She smirks, fingers wrapping around the delicate stem of the wine glass.

Jane looks up at her, a bit confused, "what do you mean?"

"You just dangle the promise of a fun-filled evening in front of me, but you don't deliver, do you?"

It's obvious from the way her eyes sparkle with mischief and her lips curve into a half smile that she's merely joking, but he just returns her smile with one of his own, the one he knows can charm anyone within a half mile radius.

He figures that just to keep the look of mirth on her face, he'll keep his future plans to himself. "All in good time, my dear. You lack patience, anyone ever told you that?"

"Oh shush, you," she quips back, bangs concealing her whimsical stare as she returns back to her dinner.

Jane, however, doesn't tear his eyes away from her, suddenly confronted with the thought that he may have figured out what was missing from his brief courtship with Kristina Frye.

His mouth goes a little dry as he wills this new awareness away, and Lisbon looks at him over the rim of her wine glass with a confused expression, large green eyes narrowed at him in concern.

She's probably about to ask him what's wrong, so when her cell phone rings and a few minutes later she lets him know that unfortunately they have another case, despite his earlier claim that he doesn't hope for murder to get away from boredom, Jane is forever grateful for the interruption.

He wouldn't be able to answer her truthfully and for some reason, with Lisbon being in her home, sharing this meal with her, he really doesn't want to lie either.

TBC…


	2. Part II

**In Lieu of Retrospection**

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Rating: T

Spoiler: Six months after 2.22 (Red Letter)

A/N: Thank you for all the amazing feedback I got on the first chapter. I'm seriously anxious to see what you guys think of the actual case, but I am glad you liked the beginning. Thank you! Also thanks to **forthecoast** again for betaing this and **lil smiles** for the prompt.

xxx

Part II

Maybe a few months ago, the sight of Lisbon arriving to a crime scene in the same car as Jane so late at night would have made him do a double take, but as oblivious as he is to most things, there are a few facts Rigsby keeps in the back of his mind. One of them being that at some point this year the relationship dynamic between his boss and their consultant had shifted into something more than just colleagues.

It had probably been a gradual transformation, but since he'd been too caught up in his own personal entanglements, he hadn't paid much attention to it, until Hightower showed up. She definitely shook things up within the department, and once he'd begun to slowly accept his break up with Grace (not that he was over her by any means), Rigsby started noticing how the arrival of the new boss was affecting the rest of the unit.

Cho, always the unflappable force, remained as untouchable as ever, having absolutely no reaction, good or bad, to Madeleine Hightower's arrival. However, she did have an affect on Lisbon, placing a lot of pressure on their boss to control Jane or else, a task Rigsby does not envy.

He thought it would end badly, but surprisingly after Lisbon's temporary suspension months ago, work has been a lot calmer, less complaints pouring into the department because of Jane while their closing record remains the highest in the whole agency.

Rigsby's almost certain Jane did not subdue his antics for Hightower's sake, which led him to noticing how much more at ease his boss and Jane were with each other now. Though, in retrospect Rigsby thinks it's probably more a change in Lisbon's behavior rather than Jane's since the latter never seems weary around the team, especially not around their boss.

He watches them as they approach the crime scene, and the way Lisbon actually allows Jane to hold up the caution tape so she can walk underneath it makes Rigsby smile a little wistfully.

He casts a side glance at Grace, who is leaning over the victim's body and saying something to the coroner, but he doesn't have time to dwell before Lisbon and Jane approach him, already in the middle of being briefed by Cho, who joined them moments earlier.

"So let me get this straight," Lisbon's voice grows louder as the three come to stand next to Rigsby, "the victim is Kyla Cregg, 18 years old, only child of State Assemblyman Jeff Cregg, and she was found here, in this alley?"

She looks a little tired and probably more than a little annoyed. Rigsby surmises that Hightower was vague on the details surrounding this case.

"Yes, coroner estimates time of death at about two hours ago, blunt force trauma to the head. There are what appear to be traces of sediment embedded in the wound, but until forensics can test it, we can't be sure. Though my guess is she was hit with some sort of rock, maybe even a brick from that building," Van Pelt gestures to the dilapidated structure on the opposite side of the alleyway.

Jane, who had in the mean time walked around the group to peer over the body, hums his approval. "Very good deduction, Grace. It looks like she was facing the door, as if ready to go in, so whoever did this probably grabbed the first thing in the vicinity to use as a weapon."

He walks over to the wall of the neighboring building and kicks at some brick remains chipping off the structure, "hence the sediment traces."

Rigsby doesn't need to look at Lisbon to know she's rolling her eyes at the consultant, but he does steal a glance at Grace, who smiles triumphantly at Jane's support.

"Brilliant inference, Mr. CSI, but before we get carried away, can someone please explain to me why she's dressed like all the weeping girls around here?" Lisbon interrupts, gesturing towards the small crowd gathered off to the side.

Most of them are young women and men no older than thirty; dressed in variations of the same sequin undergarments the victim is wearing, all displaying equal looks of horror and disbelief on their faces.

"Oh you're going to like this, boss. When the local PDs were called on the scene, the girl who found the victim out back here, one of the waitresses in the venue, identified her as Kyla Knight, a dancer in the traveling burlesque show, "The Velvet Kittens", which is performing five shows at Club Candor this week. The only reason they found out who she really was is because the original responder recognized her from a missing persons report distributed by the Assemblyman's office to every police station within a 100 mile radius of Sacramento."

It's evident by Lisbon's facial expression that she's anything but happy to hear of this development. The CBI is rarely called in on city homicides unless it's a big deal, and although she knew previously that the assemblyman's daughter was involved, this new bit of information puts a lot more pressure on her shoulders.

She exhales visibly, before crouching over the body, pulling on a pair of latex gloves in the process so she can take a closer look at the girl.

"Her parents had no idea she was here then, I'm assuming." She says with a sigh, eyes raking over the black sequin brassiere and panties then over to the black, patent leather heels encasing the girl's feet.

"I doubt it. Seems like a runaway to me."

From the other side of the body, Jane gives Lisbon a shrug as he speaks, while she fixes him with an exasperated but amused frown. "Oh really?"

To avoid further banter, Van Pelt cuts in, "actually, Jane is probably right. According to Cregg's Chief of Staff, Rebecca Watkins, Kyla disappeared from home last July. They haven't been able to find her since."

Jane flashes Lisbon a brilliant self-assured smile, but Lisbon just looks away from him, focusing on the case instead of her annoyingly astute consultant. "That's almost a year. Very long time, did she have a habit of disappearing?"

"No, not at all actually. In fact, she doesn't fit the profile of a child who would run away. She was a straight A student, on her way to Yale University last fall." Van Pelt answers, scanning the notes she complied from her brief phone call with Ms. Watkins.

"Are we sure she wasn't kidnapped? Do the parents recall if she'd taken anything with her, clothes, accessories, toiletries?"

"I'm not sure about that, boss." Van Pelt says, eyes falling on the body again, "but there was never any ransom called in, and unfortunately as I said, the parents are too upset to speak to the police. They asked for any interviews to wait until morning, to allow for some grieving."

Before Lisbon can ask any further questions, Jane lets out a loud snort, rising up again to scan the crowd of dancers huddled together behind the crime scene tape.

"What now?" Lisbon asks, heaving a sigh to signal her annoyance.

Jane doesn't seem perturbed as he shoots her another smile. "Politicians. They always feel entitled, as though they are above the rules. I'm fairly certain the reason why this girl was murdered has nothing to do with her chosen profession, or anyone whose acquaintance she made as a dancer."

"How do you figure that?"

Cho, who has remained silently observant this whole time, interrupts Jane's observations.

"Well Rigsby said it's a traveling show, which means they don't stay in one place too long, right?"

"Yes, they do shows across California, mostly northern cities and but some LA and San Diego, according to one of the dancers. Tonight was their second one." Rigsby confirms, nodding at Jane.

"Exactly, so it's not at all suspicious to you that she would be killed when they're back in Sacramento?"

Jane fixes Lisbon with a stare, almost willing her to acquiesce, but despite the light banter and friendly conversation between them just an hour ago over dinner, their professional relationship still continues to be remarkably the same. This unfortunately includes Jane being right 99.9% of the time and Lisbon making sure all bases are covered before following up on his hunches.

"We need to figure out why she ran away, that's where the answer will be."

He declares, then slides his hands into his jacket pockets, a customary pose as he looks around the crime scene once more, as if to confirm to himself that he is indeed right in his conjectures.

"I also think the killer did not intend to hurt Kyla. I think she could have been moving away from the killer and he or she panicked. The impromptu choice of weapon and the position of Kyla's body suggest spontaneity."

Lisbon watches him with a skeptical eye, but nonetheless, experience has taught her to keep his words in mind. Besides, from the angle of the victim's body and the traces of sediment, Jane's theory actually has some credibility to it for once.

"Okay, even if you're right, we can't see the family until tomorrow morning, so we need to work this scene first. Van Pelt and Rigsby, finish casing the scene then move on to interviews. See if anyone from the group saw something unusual, and also find out if anyone knows what the victim was doing out here. Maybe one of them will know who she was meeting. Cho, talk to the club manager, find out if they have surveillance cameras that lead out here, maybe we'll get lucky and catch the altercation on tape. If they have security cameras inside, those might be helpful. I'm assuming the dance troupe has a manager or choreographer of some sort?"

"Yeah, the Velvet Kittens are managed by their choreographer Leonard Hughes, he's right over there." Cho confirms, pointing to a man standing off in the distance, flocked by a few teary eyed women in matching black leotards.

"Alright, I'm going to talk to him."

The team disperses after Lisbon hands out instructions, and she almost walks away before realizing that Jane is still standing next to the body, hands clasped behind his back as he appears to be deep in thought.

"See anything else?" she asks in a quiet voice; now that she's given out orders, she loses some of her professional armor. A little twinge of something, perhaps regret seeps in as she scans the body, acknowledging that the girl really was only an adolescent.

A life ended way too early.

"Nothing right now, I think I'm going to have a look around her things, if you don't mind."

"Oh?"

She's standing a few feet in front of him, so she has to look over her shoulder,

"You don't want to talk to the manager with me?"

"Nah," Jane waves her off, "he won't tell you anything useful anyway."

He smiles at her, and even though she should be annoyed, her lip rises up out of its own volition and she nods.

"Alright, then it'll be a short interview. Don't cause trouble," she adds before walking determinedly towards the huddle of dancers.

Jane gazes at her for a moment before heading inside, glad that there are some things, like his working relationship with Lisbon, that remain comfortably the same.

xxx

Kyla Cregg's dressing area consists of a small vanity table and a white, wooden chair with a high back. Both pieces of furniture are cluttered with various knick knacks, including a large make up kit, spare clothing, and a few trinkets here and there. Nothing unusual for an 18 year old girl to have, even one who had run away from home and joined a burlesque dancing troupe.

However, two items immediately stand out to Jane.

He picks up the stuffed toy, at first amused by how out of place it is amidst the bracelets and tubes of various make up scattered on the table. Certainly, from his own experience as a father, he knows girls love their stuffed toys; however, usually it's of the furry animal variety, and not this obnoxious and humorous looking thing.

The way it was propped up against the mirror sets it apart from the organized mess around it, which suggests the victim's attachment to and reverence for the item. He's almost certain that her bedroom at home has at least a few other toys like this.

Alas, due to the single-mindedness of self-important people, he'll have to wait until morning to confirm his theory. He places the item back where he found it, not wanting to piss Lisbon off so late at night by simply taking it, even though his gut tells him it's important in some way.

Hopefully, they can consider it evidence and take it back to CBI; after all, it's not like it'll be missed by anyone.

The thought reminds him of the task at hand, and his eyes return to the vanity table, zeroing in on the second item that caught his attention when he stepped into the room. The photograph is actually a collection of four shots, vertically lined up, the kind distributed at a photo booth at a carnival.

It's sticking out of her purse, which hangs on the back of the chair. Jane picks it up, carefully, holding it by the edge just in case, although he highly doubts there will be any evidence on this keepsake that could be beneficial to the forensics team.

For him on the other hand, the photograph is like the window into the victim's life, a chance to see who this girl was beneath the pounds of make up and barely there dancing outfits. If there's anything he's learned from his years of consulting, it's that one will often learn more about the victim, and subsequently the killer, through observation rather than forensics.

It may sound a little presumptuous, but at least he has the closing record to prove it. A smile tugs on his lips as he looks at the beaming faces of the boy and the girl in the freeze frame.

The pair looks incredibly happy, revealing bright white teeth in their grins and mutual affection in their gazes. It's clear that they appear in love, but that isn't what captures Jane's attention at all.

It's evident from the blond hair and pale skin that the girl in the photograph is Kyla Cregg; however the dark haired, blue eyed boy with a slight five o'clock shadow is unfamiliar. He may be a part of the victim's past, but something tells Jane otherwise. The one thing he is certain of is that the boy wasn't in the crowd of onlookers gathered at the crime scene, and so far Jane hasn't seen him inside the club either.

He's just about to place the photograph back into the purse when he hears approaching footsteps and finds the rest of the CBI unit reconvened in the dressing room.

"Got anything useful out of the bar manager?" Lisbon, who looks a little weary, probably from lack of sleep, addresses Cho.

"There're no cameras leading out back, but he's getting the footage from the camera inside the venue for me now."

"Great, any luck with the dancers? Anything new on the body?"

"The coroner's office is as always backlogged, but they'll try to expedite the autopsy considering the circumstances-."

Jane makes a small sound of disapproval during Van Pelt's explanation, but the only acknowledgement he earns is a side glance from Lisbon before she encourages the redhead to continue.

"The autopsy report should be ready by tomorrow afternoon."

"Couldn't get too much out of the rest of the dancing crew, everyone is practically hysterical over this. I guess Kyla had a lot of friends." Rigsby adds, eyes automatically surveying the dressing room.

"Meh, I doubt any of them actually liked her. It's all for show." The four detectives turn to Jane, who's leaning casually against the dressing table, this time fiddling with a barrette Kyla probably used to pin her hair during performances.

"How's that?" Rigsby asks, folding his arms across his torso as he faces Jane.

"Well by the looks of this place, the backstage is very small, yet Kyla had her own dressing room. That probably means she was a) sleeping with the choreographer, which I doubt because the man is so obviously homosexual, or b) she was the lead dancer, which almost always breeds animosity within a group, especially one consisting of a majority of young women."

"But you said that at the crime scene that whoever killed Kyla was probably connected to her past-."

Rigsby stares at Van Pelt as she cuts in. She tries hard not to acknowledge him, but fails in doing so and a glance, however fleeting, passes between the two ex-lovers.

He can't say things haven't been strained, and they certainly haven't returned back to how it was prior to their brief relationship, but it's nice to know that Van Pelt still has his back at work. Rigsby gives her one more look, this one filled with appreciation, before turning his attention back to Jane.

"I most certainly did, Grace. I still stand by that opinion; I was merely pointing out that the dancers' reactions probably had little to do with genuine feelings of concern for their fallen comrade."

Van Pelt opens her mouth to speak, but Lisbon, who has been silent in this whole exchange, interrupts, "Either way, bring them back to headquarters tomorrow for some follow up questions, give them some time to get over the shock of it all."

She says this with such vainly disguised sarcasm that Jane grins to himself, a little thrilled that on some level she agrees with his perception of the rest of the Velvet Kittens.

"Did you get anything off the choreographer?" He asks, pushing himself off the vanity table.

"You mean besides the fact that he's so 'obviously homosexual'?" Lisbon shoots back, with a glint of amusement in her eye. For a split second it's like they're the only two people in the room, sparring back and forth.

It's been happening a lot lately, and before Jane can share in her smile, he notices Rigsby staring at him with a raised eyebrow and thinly veiled smirk, so he just clears his throat and shrugs.

Lisbon takes it as her cue to speak and addresses the whole team, glancing at her notes periodically.

"Kyla auditioned for Hughes in July of last year in San Francisco, which is consistent with the timeline of her running away. She obviously provided false documentation, but he hadn't caught on. He said she was an excellent dancer and they were short one girl, about to leave on a tour, so he hired her right away and she'd been dancing with them ever since. A couple of weeks ago, he had a financial disagreement with the main dancer, Cindy Campbell, and fired her; Kyla took her place. Campbell is a local here, showed up for her paycheck earlier this evening, but he lost track of her after that."

"Possible motive?" Cho raises the question, and Lisbon nods.

"Yes, but Hughes doesn't think she stayed for the show. She's a single mom."

She pauses for a second, flipping to the second page of her notepad. "Either way, it wouldn't hurt to talk to her, rule her out as a suspect. One of us will talk to her tomorrow morning. In the mean time, Hughes mentioned that the club owner, a guy by the name of Rick Royal, had been a bit suggestive with Kyla yesterday. She'd complained to Hughes. He was going to talk to him tonight, but he wasn't here."

"Doesn't rule him out as a suspect though. He could have still tried to proposition her in the alley."

"Exactly," Lisbon confirms Van Pelt's thoughts, but before she can dispense tasks, Jane interrupts.

"I don't think he did it. There were no bruising or marking of any sort on the victim's body, if he'd been trying to force himself on her-…"

"There would have been physical evidence of it." Lisbon finishes Jane's thought, but his triumph is short lived. "Regardless, we need to have all bases covered, so Cho and Rigsby, before clocking out for the night, have a word with him. Hughes says Royal owns a few other nightclub establishments in the area, the bar manager should have his whereabouts."

"Okay," Rigsby nods.

"Will do, boss. We'll call if we get any information." Cho adds, before following the taller agent out.

"Hughes also mentioned a boyfriend, Seth Beatts-…"

"Aha!" Jane exclaims, catching the women off guard, a self-assured smile on his lips as he presents the photograph he found in Kyla's purse. "Does this boy match the description?"

Lisbon studies it for the moment, and then nods slowly. "Yes, yes it does. Beatts is one of the alternate dancers, travels with the show for back up so to speak."

"I didn't see him in the crowd," Van Pelt notes suspiciously.

"That's because according to Hughes, he split almost as soon they found Kyla's body. No one has seen him since. I need you to dig up as much as you can on this kid. Considering how easily Kyla slipped through the cracks, we can't be sure he gave Hughes any legitimate information, and it seems a bit strange that he would disappear like that. I'll get the locals to put out an APB on him. Hughes says he owns a black Ducati; maybe we'll get lucky with a hit."

"Alright, I'll meet you back at the office then," Van Pelt nods before walking off.

"Give yourself an hour tops, then go home. We don't need burned-out agents." Lisbon calls after her, and as soon as the redhead is out of sight, she stifles a yawn and runs a tired hand through her hair. The thought of delicious leftovers and her bed practically seduces her, but she snaps quickly back into focus as she surveys the room, the untouched messiness on the vanity table reminding her that a murdered girl probably deserves a few more hours of attention.

"You should go home," Jane muses, and his annoying habit of knowing exactly what she's thinking both irritates and amuses Lisbon. "But you won't," he adds.

"No way. We can't talk to the family right now, so I'm going to try to go through as much security footage as I can tonight. Maybe something will pop up." Lisbon explains, tucking her notepad into her jacket pocket.

Jane doesn't say anything for a moment, so her gaze lingers on him. "You can join me if you'd like."

He looks up at her then, expression softened, as he realizes that he's somewhat grateful for her pretense in assuming he has better things to do during the night, especially when they both know he doesn't.

"Only if my new friend can come along," He consents amusingly, lifting the stuffed toy from its place by the mirror.

"A Mr. Potato Head? Really, Jane?" Lisbon quirks an eyebrow at him.

"What?" Jane looks at her in mock disbelief before looking at the toy, "I see that they're quite popular with the teenage demographic these days."

Lisbon expels a heavy sigh, before conceding, "Sure, whatever. I'll just have CSU log it in as evidence, and we'll take it."

"Excellent," Jane exclaims a little too enthusiastically, but Lisbon realizes she's far too exhausted to suspect him of any ulterior motive so late at night.

Instead, she simply walks out of the room, and this time Jane walks behind her. As boring as viewing surveillance footage will surely be, doing that with Lisbon for a few hours seems more appealing than wrestling with the elusive concept of sleep and failing miserably.

TBC…


	3. Part III

**In Lieu of Retrospection**

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Rating: T

Spoiler: Six months after 2.22 (Red Letter)

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed Part I and II, especially the anonymous reviewers to whom I could not give an individual reply. Also a quick shout out to** forthecoast** for her awesome editing job and **lil smiles** for providing the prompt. In this whole story, there are two chapters that are absolutely my favorite and this Part is one of them. I hope you enjoy!

xxx

Part III

The brush of something soft against her cheek rouses her from sleep. Yet, Lisbon doesn't open her eyes right away. Instead, she snuggles deeper into the fabric covering her, inhaling the calming scent of what she assumes is her comforter at home.

Except, even in her sleep filled haze, she realizes that her comforter doesn't have this particular, unique scent of male cologne, and her eyes fly open in panic. Her body rises quickly into a sitting position before she can comprehend where she is or how bereft she feels without the warm cover.

"Even though you're more of a Snow White, I'm tempted to say 'good morning, Sleeping Beauty.'"

She's just barely running her fingers through her tangled hair when she looks over to her left to find Jane sitting comfortably on the other end of the couch, smiling with a hint of amusement at her.

Lisbon suddenly feels very self conscious but tries not to show it, as she crosses her arms over her torso and fixes him with a frown,

"Don't tell me you let me sleep here through the night."

She says, defaulting to her natural position of annoyance with him in order to mask her embarrassment.

"I figured if I tried to wake you, you'd get violent. Besides it was nice to have some company while I worked, even if you do snore. I had a remote idea that surveillance tapes were boring, but I wasn't fully aware of how much."

"I do not snore," Lisbon exclaims indignantly in return, swatting Jane on the arm none too gently. Jane reacts as expected, overly dramatically, but Lisbon finally notices that he's missing his jacket and realizes that he draped it over her at some point during the night.

Thankfully, Jane doesn't let her dwell too much on the thought by goading her again,

"Don't worry; your snore isn't anything like a trucker's. It's actually more reminiscent of a small child or an animal."

It's apparent by the impishness in his expression that he's merely teasing, and Lisbon just rolls her eyes in response, glad to have some diversion from the blush invariably rising on her cheeks.

Jane says nothing about it but catalogues the memory and files it away for later. He won't dare admit that he finds the flush on her pale skin absolutely adorable, or that he didn't want to wake her partially out of selfish reasons.

It really was comforting to have her nearby, even though he was unable to sleep himself. He can't quite pinpoint what this feeling is, but knows he can't delve into it now, not when they have a case and especially not when he's in Lisbon's presence.

Instead, he realizes, looking down at his crumpled button down and creased vest, that he really needs to get a change of clothing. A plan forms in his head, before he can stop it.

He looks at Lisbon to find her staring at him with a soft expression on her face, concern lining her forehead in the form of noticeable creases that beg to be smoothed away.

"What?"

"You really went through all the rest of the security tapes? There must be another dozen I didn't get to." She says, eyes momentarily shifting to the stack of security tapes lining the spare table in her office.

"Uh, well there isn't anything useful on them. I made some notes, but really, nothing stands out and I didn't expect it to, which is why you should have gone home last night. But since you are a stubborn one, I didn't press the issue. You can have Cho take a look later on if you feel like it. By the way, he called a little after you dozed off. They got nothing from Royal, airtight alibi. Apparently he was with a lady friend who was more than willing to corroborate his story. Now in the mean time, it's still a little too early to pay the Creggs a visit and I'm in desperate need of a change of clothing, so shall we?"

He says this all in one steady stream of words and Lisbon realizes it's a little too early to be arguing with him, so she acquiesces and lets him lead her out of the CBI under the pretense that he'll drop her off at home, before meeting her at the Creggs'.

It's only when they pull up to a sprawling apartment complex half way between her neighborhood and the CBI building that Lisbon feels a little anxiety in the pit of her stomach.

Jane cuts the engine; the tension in the car is undeniable.

"I'll only be a few minutes. You can wait in the car if you like." He says in a quiet voice, fiddling with the car keys.

The offer to remain in the car is tempting, especially considering that for the last few seconds she's been wondering if going in with him will finally erase all doubt from her mind that they're not just colleagues anymore.

However, the way Jane looks at her, so unguarded and hopeful, ensures that any agreement to his suggestion will evaporate from her mind. She knows that regardless of her personal misgivings, Jane is exposing a deeper part of himself willingly, without force. Suddenly her anxiety transforms into cautious excitement.

"No," she says quickly, maybe a little too earnestly, but there's no time for embarrassment. "I don't mind. Maybe you'll even have some decent coffee up there." She adds with a smirk before getting out of the car.

Jane chuckles for a moment, but quickly rebounds joining Lisbon by the hood of the Citreon and smiling at her almost indecently, "Coffee? Woman, do you not know me at all?"

xxx

She expects it to be awkward, stepping into Jane's home like this, a home she didn't know he even had. She's overcome with a strange sense of guilt as they mount the stairs, realizing that she never really paid mind to where he went after work, even after they started to spend time together outside the office.

The shame makes her anticipation dissipate slightly. However, aside from the sparse furnishing, the apartment brings in a lot of light and is aesthetically pleasing. It's not exactly a space that exudes hominess and comfort, but Lisbon figures she'd be more shocked if it did, considering that Jane doesn't seem to allow himself any personal indulgences besides his suits, his tea fetish, and sometimes shameless flirting.

Looking around the room, she catches Jane watching her from the corner of his eye, as he places his set of keys on the small table next to the door and shrugs out of his ancient brown shoes.

"Make yourself comfortable, I'll only be a few minutes. Who knows, maybe if you dig hard enough, you'll find some coffee back there."

He gestures towards the kitchen, and Lisbon ducks her head, smiling to herself. The moment passes quickly as Jane excuses himself down the darkened hallway, leaving Lisbon standing alone in the living room.

For a moment, she's not sure what to do. Despite the relatively inviting feeling of the living room, she thinks it might be a little too weird to simply sit and wait. Then, at the most opportune moment, her body reminds her that their dinner was interrupted the night before, and she's heading into the kitchen without a second thought, a task already in her mind.

xxx

He's so focused on buttoning his left shirtsleeve that he only realizes someone is cooking through the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. He steps into the room to find Lisbon standing over the stove, jacket shed and hanging on the back of one of the stools around the breakfast bar. She's dressed casually enough for his mind to wander into forbidden territory, indulging in fantasies he didn't know he had, such as picturing Lisbon in his kitchen not just as a colleague.

He shoves the thought away, to find Lisbon looking at him a bit uncertainly, lower lip pressed between her teeth. Jane doesn't say anything but attempts to communicate his gratitude by maintaining eye contact. By the time Lisbon sets the two plates on the table, all vestige of awkwardness between them disappears.

"You are never allowed to criticize the contents of my fridge, ever again." Lisbon announces as she pulls two forks out of his drawer.

Jane grins before accepting the utensil, secretly marveling at her ability to construct a meal from what little the refrigerator contained. He only really comes here for a shower and a change of clothing, sometimes the occasional night of restless sleep.

He opens his mouth to explain, but then halts, the words lingering on the tip of his tongue. He watches as she starts eating slowly, and decides not to spoil this moment by bringing up unnecessary issues.

Instead, he chooses to appreciate the moment for what it is and thanks her for the perfectly cooked eggs.

"It's the least I can do," Lisbon admits quietly, picking at her plate, "considering how often you've been cooking for me lately."

She chooses her words carefully. Jane senses this, but she doesn't say anything overtly, thus giving him the opportunity not to acknowledge what's really lingering beneath her words.

He considers challenging her for a moment or shifting the conversation in that direction, but he wants to selfishly hold on to the normality of this moment, something he rarely gets to experience.

His mind flashes back to months ago, a rainy day, them sitting together in a car, him openly admitting that he wishes for a normal life sometimes too, and his decision is made before he even opens his mouth.

Lisbon doesn't seem all that surprised when Jane shifts gears, asking her if she thinks the boyfriend had anything to do with Kyla's murder.

xxx

The Cregg residence is a surprisingly modest, charming two-story home situated on the edge of an upscale community in a suburb of Sacramento. The only inclination that something horrific has happened to one of the families is the swarm of paparazzi and news vans lining the sidewalk.

Lana Cregg is a petite blonde with shining blue eyes and a stern but approachable demeanor. If there was any doubt that Kyla had been her daughter, it would be erased as soon as they met the health care attorney.

In her career, Lisbon has seen her share of politician homes, and this one is by far the homiest and most comfortable one she'd ever been to, not to mention the least pretentious.

As if reading her mind, Mrs. Cregg dabs the corner of her eye gingerly and speaks,

"We tried to give Kyla the most normal upbringing. We only moved into this community for security reasons, otherwise we would have been happy to live elsewhere."

Lisbon looks at the blonde sitting across from her and can't help the sympathy rising inside her. From the corner of her eye, she spots Jane observing family photos by the mantle, absorbed in his task until he notices the housekeeper breeze into the room with a tray of tea and cookies.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Mrs. Cregg. I do have some questions if you don't mind."

"Did Kyla have any close friends? Maybe a boyfriend before she ran away?"

Jane tears his eyes away from the graduation photo and situates himself besides Lisbon, before helping himself to a cup of tea.

Lisbon, having gotten used to his penchant for spontaneous questioning, simply flips open her note pad and declines a cookie the housekeeper offers.

"What does it matter? It's obvious someone who she met after she ran away from home did this."

From his spot by the window, Jeff Cregg joins the conversation, a deep frown etched on his face as he scowls at the sheer amount of news crews and cameramen surrounding his home.

"What makes you think that?" Jane counters his comment, finally getting the taller man to turn and look at him.

Lisbon has seen him in pictures, in the newspaper, on television; however, the pursed lips and grief stricken eyes paired with his extremely pallor complexion and lithe frame do not intimate Jeff Cregg's political stature or his usually vibrant smiles. Instead, they are all signs of deep anguish and sorrow; he's the picture of a mourner.

The way Jane narrows his eyes at the man screams trouble, so Lisbon quickly interrupts the possibly explosive questioning.

"We just want to cover all bases, Mr. Cregg, that's all."

It takes a comforting eye and a lot of finesse on Lisbon's part to coax the hardness out of Cregg's eyes, and he gives an imperceptible nod, before returning to gazing out the window. Lisbon shoots Jane a minute look of disapproval, but he simply takes a sip of the tea and hums his appreciation, smiling garishly at the housekeeper, who stands by the couch.

"Most of Kyla's friends are in college back east at the moment, but she had a good friend named Derrick Lancaster, who is local. He was a little bit of a problem child. Kyla was assigned as his tutor through the program at school, and they remained friends. He improved in his studies and is now attending UC Davis, so you can probably speak with him there."

Mrs. Cregg explains, before accepting a proffered teacup from the woman standing beside her. "Thank you Agata," she adds a little tearfully, "you don't have to stay."

She places a soft hand on the yet to be introduced woman's arm, but the other shakes her head adamantly, tanned hand clutching the small rosary around her neck as she replies in broken English, "No, no Mees Cregg. I am not going nowhere. I am here for anything that you need."

There's a pause as Mrs. Cregg places her teacup on the table and gives Agata a grateful smile, "thank you, thank you very much."

At that point, her eyes shift to Jane and Lisbon and realization dawns.

"Oh dear, where are my manners. Agent Lisbon, Mr. Jane, this is Agata Espejo. She used to be Kyla's nanny, now she just comes in a couple times a week to help me out. She's practically family."

Jane leaps off the couch to extend his hand to the dark haired woman, earning him a suspicious look from Lisbon. Agata doesn't seem too keen on taking the strange man's hand, but she acquiesces. Though when Jane smiles, keeping his charm in full force, she drops her hand and turns to Mrs. Cregg.

"I will be in the kitchen." She nods and the blonde thanks her again before returning her attention back to the investigators.

"I'm sorry for the interruption. Where were we?" She clasps her hands across her lap, looking expectedly at Lisbon.

"No problem. I am sorry I have to ask where both of you were last night. It's standard procedure."

If Mrs. Cregg is surprised by the inquiry, she doesn't show it, instead she glances down at her lap, "Jeff and I had to attend a benefit for one of the hospitals I represent; they just added a new maternity wing. We were there from about 7:30pm, until we got the call that Kyla was…" she pauses slightly, voice cracking just a little bit, then she regroups.

"Rebecca called us at around 10:00 o'clock and we came straight home."

Lisbon musters up a half smile, filling her eyes with compassion for the woman in front of her.

"My secretary will be glad to give you more information." She adds, and Lisbon thanks her.

"Seems like you do this type of thing a lot." Jane comments a little derisively from his position reclining on the couch. Lisbon already feels the pull of an oncoming headache. Does she really need to pull him aside? Remind him yet again that despite how calm things have been these last few months, Hightower would still be extremely unhappy if Jane pisses off another influential member of the community.

Regardless, before Lisbon has the chance to apologize on the behalf of her colleague for the umpteenth time, Mrs. Cregg sets her warm eyes on Jane and smiles.

"I am an attorney, Mr. Jane. I may not work homicide cases, but I can understand the procedure better than anyone."

She obviously isn't offended, and if she is, she's an incredibly talented actress. Though Lisbon is almost positive the grief and sentiments exuding from this small but powerful woman are genuine.

She glances briefly at Jane to find him equal parts amused and humbled, yet trying to retain his usual composure. Lisbon can't help but like Mrs. Cregg a little bit more. Lisbon is about to ask further questions when Jeff Cregg again interrupts.

"You're wasting your time." He says somewhat dejectedly, and Lisbon still can't reconcile the man with the state assembly title.

"I don't want to pass judgment, but from what I've learned of this dancing group, it can't all be nice people over there. I think there's more of a chance that someone from that part of her life did it."

He pushes off the wall and his quiet resolve finally begins to remind Lisbon of her previous image of Jeff Cregg. "Now if you'll excuse me," He says clasping his hands, " I have some arrangements to make. You can direct further questions to Rebecca and she will let me know."

Before either Lisbon or Jane can protest his statement, Jeff breezes past his wife and out of the room. Mrs. Cregg's concerned eye follows him out.

"I'm sorry for Jeff. He's just distraught, as you can imagine. Kyla was definitely a daddy's little girl."

Seeing an in, Lisbon shoves away the twinge of discomfort she still feels even after dozens of next-of-kin interviews, and speaks delicately,

"Mrs. Cregg, if you don't mind. Can you tell us a little bit about Kyla?"

xxx

"Daddy dearest is hiding something."

Jane declares as soon as the front door shuts behind them. Lisbon has half the intent to remind him that he thinks most people are "hiding something", but this time she feels it too, so she nods,

"Yes, I do too. I'm going to get Van Pelt to check out their alibi."

She pulls out her Blackberry as Jane follows her to the car. "Hey, Lisbon."

"Yeah?"

"Mrs. Cregg mentioned they did a press conference from their home shortly after Kyla disappeared. We wouldn't be able to get our hands on the recording of it, would we?"

This grabs Lisbon's attention and she tells Van Pelt, who picks up at that moment, to hold on.

"We probably can, why?"

Jane looks contemplatively at the ground for a moment, and Lisbon can literally picture the wheels turning in his head. He finally looks up at her, focused expression dissolving into a wide, bright smile.

"That's fantastic, I'll need to take a look at those."

He divulges very little as usual and Lisbon can't help the annoyance seeping into her.

"Why do you need them?" she pries again, but Jane merely diverts her inquiry,

"What would be the fun if I told you?" He says grinningly, before sliding into the driver's seat. Lisbon heaves a sigh, realizing her lack of coffee this morning is slowly catching up to her, morphing into the beginnings of a tension headache.

"Jane, seriously. Why can't you for once just tell me what you're planning?" She snaps, getting into the car, and buckling her seat belt.

Jane seems unperturbed, even a little amused by Lisbon's spontaneous rant. She'd seemed relatively calm all morning. Perhaps they should stop by a coffee shop on the way to CBI, he thinks as they pull out of the driveway.

"Well?" Lisbon catches his attention again, arms crossed over her chest and eyes peering at him expectedly.

Jane smiles before teasing her about her lack of patience, knowing that it will set her off, which it does. Regardless, he sees the sparkle in her eye as Lisbon berates him, and he knows she's enjoying this as much as he is.

Neither one notices that Van Pelt has hung up a while ago.

TBC...


	4. Part IV

**In Lieu of Retrospection**

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Rating: T

Spoiler: Six months after 2.22 (Red Letter)

A/N: Thank you everyone for all your feedback! I appreciate it. I'm glad everyone liked Part 3 and am happy the case is still intriguing. Thanks as always to **forthecoast** for betaing and **lil smiles **for the prompt.

xxx

Part IV

They've worked cases before that required them to visit universities, but never during final exam time.

Rigsby now understands that he was very lucky to have avoided college students around this time of the quarter. So far in his attempt to navigate the CBI issue SUV through the campus, he's been flipped off by three pedestrians and had obscenities thrown at him by particularly vicious bicyclists, all no doubt stressed out, worn out, and positively livid college students on the brink of a break down.

He decides, as they pull up to the building where Derrick Lancaster is supposed to be, that he's glad he'll never have to return to school ever again. He doesn't envy college kids.

His stake out partner is, as usual, quiet and relaxed, seemingly unfettered by the swarm of young people rushing past them with expressions of muted horror or stress. Rigsby admires Cho's ability to be so nonchalant sometimes, but it's also a little boring with him so keenly wrapped up in whatever novel he's reading.

The taller agent sighs a little loudly, but it doesn't catch his partner's attention so he digs into the glove compartment, pulls out a granola bar, and occupies himself for all of the two minutes it takes him to finish the snack.

After ditching the wrapper, Rigsby checks his watch, only to find that very little time has passed. He keeps a look out for Lancaster, going on a photograph taken just a few months after graduation, but the boredom still seeps in.

"So, how are you and Elise?" Rigsby finally breaks the silence, a teasing twinge to his question.

"We're fine," Cho replies evenly, eyes not tearing away from the book.

Being used to Cho's usual attitude, Rigsby is not deterred by it.

"You gonna ask her to marry you soon?" He probes good-naturedly, nudging Cho playfully with his elbow.

Still no reaction.

"No, too early." The Asian man replies, flipping another page with equal fervor.

Rigsby rolls his eyes, taking a hefty sip from his soda, "It's been almost a year, dude. It's not like you're getting any younger."

His words seem to fall on deaf ears, so he reaches over and tilts the book to see the title, then smirks self assuredly. "Plus, she's got you reading Jane Austen."

Cho finally looks up, but his expression is typically emotionless.

"What's your point?" he deadpans, waiting just a few seconds for Rigsby to react, before turning back to the book.

Rigsby opens his mouth to retort, but then a horde of students charges out of the science building. He catches sight of the tall, lanky redhead and is already unclipping his seatbelt before Cho has a chance to shut his book.

They call out for the boy almost as soon as they get out of the car.

"Derrick Lancaster?"

The thin adolescent turns around, dark blue eyes suspiciously sizing up the two agents. "Yeah?"

"We're from the CBI-.." Rigsby begins.

"What's-…"

"California Bureau of Investigation." Cho interrupts, in the interest of saving time. "We need to speak with you about Kyla Cregg."

A flicker of realization across his freckled face and then, "what about her?"

He says this with a hint of something in his voice that's indefinable to either man, but even Rigsby can tell the name means something to him. That's what makes him a little more thankful for Cho's practiced detachment during interviews.

"She's dead, and we need to ask you some questions."

The change in the boy is very obvious. His already pale complexion becomes impossibly whiter and he fumbles a little with the strap of his school bag, disbelief reflected clearly in his eyes,

"D-dead? What do you mean, dead?"

He looks visibly shaken, and Cho takes pity on him. "Maybe you'd feel more comfortable answering some questions in our office?"

The boy hesitates, a blank stare his reply.

"We've got really great vending machines, and its close by. You'll be back for geometry." Rigsby adds, laughing a little nervously after realizing that his effort to lighten the mood may not be that appropriate.

Cho gives him a slight disapproving glance, before looking back at Derrick.

The adolescent stands for a moment, before peering back at Rigsby, squinting against the sun, lip curving just a little, "Its college, dude. Geometry was like 10th grade."

xxx

Lisbon slips into the observation room to find Jane sitting cross legged in a chair next to the one way mirror, watching Cho and Rigsby talk to Derrick Lancaster.

He acknowledges her with a smile before refocusing on his previous task, and Lisbon walks over to the opposite side of the room, leaning against the wall. They watch the conversation between Cho and Lancaster for a few moments until Lisbon steals a glance at Jane's pensive expression and can't help goading him.

"So do you think this one is hiding something too?"

Jane shoots her a side glance, before shaking his head, "Nah, nothing to do with the case anyway."

Glancing once more into the interrogation room, Lisbon pivots her body towards Jane, arms crossed over her torso. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jane stands up, stretches leisurely, which inevitably earns him an eye roll, and answers, "It's clear as day that he was in love with Kyla. Probably why he's so startled by her death. Has the footage of the Creggs' press conference arrived yet?"

"Yes, Grace is setting it up." Lisbon replies. Being used to Jane's penchant for concealing the reasoning behind his observations, she says little else and turns back to the screen.

"Excellent. I'll make a cup of tea and get to work then," Jane shoots her a beaming smile before turning to leave.

He pauses at the door though. "Oh, but I'm pretty certain Derrick knows something about why Kyla ran away in the first place, so have Cho pick at that a little."

With that the door shuts behind him.

Lisbon stands in resolve for a few moments, stubbornly not budging to instruct Cho as Jane suggested out of pure principle. Despite having a better understanding of each other as coworkers, it still irritates her when Jane doesn't share his motivations for certain things. That makes her stand rooted to the ground for all of five minutes before her rational side wins.

It's clear that Derrick and Kyla were very close. Also, considering he wasn't in her immediate circle of popular and entitled friends, she may have felt she could trust him more, perhaps because she figured he would keep her secrets faster than any of her gossiping girlfriends.

It does make sense that if she confided in anyone, it would be him.

Letting out a very frustrated puff of air, she unfolds her arms and walks out of the observation room and into the interrogation room, pulling Cho out for a moment.

She doesn't notice Jane smiling at her from across the hallway.

xxx

Fifteen minutes later, sitting on the conference table with a forkful of salad, Lisbon watches as Rigsby steps out of the interrogation room with Derrick Lancaster in tow, walking towards the elevators.

A moment later, Cho walks into the bullpen.

Jane, who up until this point was sitting besides her obsessively watching the conference tape, pauses the DVD player just as Cho approaches.

"Well?" Lisbon asks, setting aside her lunch and wiping her hands on a napkin. Behind her, Jane steals a cherry tomato from her to-go box, earning him a pointed stare from Van Pelt who catches him over the rim of her computer.

He presses his finger to his lips, giving her a bright smile before turning his attention back to Cho. He's confident that the agent will be confirming his earlier conjectures about Lancaster.

"He appears to have nothing to do with the actual murder. He claims to have no knowledge of Kyla's whereabouts and seemed visibly shaken when we informed him of her death."

"Where was he at the time of the murder though?" Lisbon asks, reaching for her bottle of water.

"Study group until about 1 am. He had a Chemistry exam today."

"Anyone who can vouch for him?" Lisbon presses further, but when Cho is about to answer, Jane lets out a puff of air and leans forward,

"Can we cut to the point where you tell us what he knows about Kyla running away?"

Jane's eyes twinkle with excitement, eliciting what could only be considered a smile from Cho, as Lisbon swats him on the arm. "Shush you. We'll get there." she says authoritatively, but then realizes that they're at that point anyway and becomes mildly annoyed with her consultant yet again.

A few moments pass by, before Lisbon fixes Cho with a stare and urges him to explain.

"Well, he didn't know much about why she ran away exactly, but he told us that a few days before graduation, Kyla showed up at his doorstep crying, really distraught over something. He tried to get it out of her but she didn't budge. Instead, she spent the night at his house and the next morning Lana Cregg called the house frantically looking for Kyla. His parents were at work by that time, so Derrick picked up and Kyla asked him to lie about where she was, so he did. At that point, he confronted her again and she basically implied that she'd had a fight with her parents and didn't want to be at home-…"

"Aha!" Jane exclaims, cutting Cho off slightly.

"Aha, what?" Lisbon turns to him, eyebrow raised in slight aggravation, "Kyla could have easily lied to cover up why she really left home."

"True," Jane pauses for a moment, mulling the information over in his head, "but very unlikely." He concludes.

"And why is that?" Lisbon continues to regard him suspiciously.

"Just feels a little off, that's all." Jane shrugs, although the smile on his face is still a little conspiratorial.

"Oh I see." Lisbon nods, slight mocking.

Nevertheless, as she looks back at Cho, she sees the same contemplation that she's certain is mirrored in her eyes. It's worth a shot after all.

"Alright, fine. Cho and I will go talk to the Creggs, you finish watching those tapes." Lisbon addresses Jane before sliding off the conference table, headed for her office.

"Hey, Boss. For what it's worth, their alibi checks out." Van Pelt calls to her and Lisbon turns around, giving her a nod for good work.

"What about the housekeeper?" Jane asks suddenly.

Van Pelt furrows her eyebrow at him, "Mrs. Espejo?"

"Yeah," Jane nods, "what's her story?"

"Not sure, actually." The redheaded says, chewing on her bottom lip.

"We'll ask. I think she might be at their home still." Lisbon, who walks back in from her office, announces as she waits for Cho to grab his jacket.

"You should." Jane nods his approval with a bright smile and Lisbon just rolls her eyes.

"Van Pelt, make sure he doesn't get into trouble," She calls over her shoulder, before disappearing down the hall.

Jane shoots Van Pelt an innocent look, while she stares at him pointedly.

"Paranoid woman," He adds a bit dramatically, referring to Lisbon, but Van Pelt just shakes her head in response, sincerely hoping she won't need to call her boss with news that Jane manipulated her into another one of his crackpot plans.

xxx

The atmosphere in the Cregg household is decidedly different this time. Jeff Cregg seems to have lost his passive attitude and absentmindedness, and he greets them with the smile and charm Lisbon's used to seeing from him on television.

It makes her almost wary of him, perhaps even a little suspicious, and she forgoes the offered lemonade with a curt shake of her head and gets to business. She's glad to have Cho by her side, the one agent who is always impervious to offerings of refreshments and enthusiasm, regardless of who is being interviewed.

"Mr. Cregg, we just have a few more questions about your daughter's disappearance that need to be cleared up. Is Mrs. Cregg around? We'd like to speak to her as well."

Lisbon watches the smile falter just slightly, an imperceptible twitch of his lip as he nods. Then he turns to the housekeeper and asks her to fetch Mrs. Cregg, who is currently in another part of the house.

Lisbon takes the opportunity to ask Agata Espejo where she was last night, and the older woman stares blankly at her for a moment before replying in broken English that she lives with her sister now and was at home.

Having no reason to doubt her statement, Lisbon records the given address and makes a note to have Van Pelt follow up on it as soon as she gets the chance.

Lana Cregg breezes into the room a few moments later, the same impeccable suit and warm smile in place. Except this time, her expression is a little tighter, perhaps a little strained. Lisbon can't help the suspicion rising inside her. For a second, she wonders if maybe Jane's influence has weighed way too heavily and she's just being paranoid.

As if on cue, her cell phone vibrates against her hip and she looks over at Cho, giving him the signal to relay all the information Derrick Lancaster provided them with, as she takes the call.

She doesn't bother checking the caller ID and is greeted by Jane's chipper voice.

"I'm busy," She hisses into the phone. She's a little out of ear shot, so she can't understand what the Creggs are telling Cho, but she is pretty certain that they are surprised and slightly uncomfortable about the line of inquiry. Something is definitely amiss with these people.

"I understand. No need to be so grouchy just because you didn't get your daily intake of caffeine."

Normally, she would be more receptive to his teasing, but right now she desperately wants to get back to the interview to figure out exactly what the Creggs are suddenly hiding.

"Jane, I'm in the middle of an interview. What do you want?"

"Ah, yes, the reason I am calling. I need you to ask the Creggs and anyone who had access to the house where they were the night before the murder."

"What?" Confusion seeps into her voice, "Why?"

"I think Kyla stopped by her house the night before she died."

There's a brief silence on the line while Lisbon contemplates his conjecture. "How do you know that?"

"Well, it's a little difficult to explain but if you can just-…"

"Jane." Annoyance begins to take hold of her. She really hates when he's so goddamn ambiguous, "I really don't have time for this now."

"They're hiding something, we both know that." Jane persists, and Lisbon can't deny that she agrees.

She glances over her shoulder back into the living room, where the Creggs are now sitting rigidly on the couch. Lana Cregg is no longer the picture of composure, and Jeff Cregg seems to be trying too hard to give off a calm vibe.

There's only a brief moment of hesitation before she heaves a sigh and concedes, "Alright, fine. I'll ask, but this better not be one of your insanely stupid ideas."

"Stupid?" Jane balks, "that's very offensive, Lisbon. My ideas may be insane, but never stupid. That's mean."

She can't help the small smile that spreads over her lips as she imagines Jane's facial expression.

"You'll survive, I'll see you soon." She adds sarcastically and doesn't wait for his rant before hanging up the phone.

She comes into the tail of the conversation, apologizing quietly and perching herself on the arm of the love seat across from the Creggs. Cho gives her an imperceptible nod. Working long enough with her second in command, Lisbon has learned to decipher even the most subtle of gestures from Cho and understands by the look in his eye that he's just as suspicious of the couple across from them as she is.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but in light of some new information, I have to ask where both of you were the night before the murder."

The identical flashes of hesitation and fear that cross the couple's faces don't go unnoticed by either detective, but Lisbon chooses not to comment on it.

"What information?" Jeff Cregg asks.

"We've had a few developments, but until we can be 100% sure I would rather not discuss it." Lisbon explains, keeping her smile tight and her expression as stoic as possible.

Jeff Cregg obviously doesn't like her vagueness, and crosses his arms over his chest,

"Well, then why should we divulge any information if you're not willing to do the same?"

He also crosses his legs, which Lisbon finds a little odd because really the only man she's ever seen do that is Jane, and he's, well…he's different.

She meets the Assemblyman's stern gaze head on and purses her lips together, cursing Jane for convincing her that this was a good line of questioning, even if the Creggs' reluctance to produce an alibi is more than suspicious enough to justify it.

"With all due respect, Mr. Cregg, this is a murder investigation, not a business deal. There's no exchange of information required here, on our behalf at least. I understand if you do not want to give out details of your personal life considering that your occupation, but I can assure you anything you tell us is completely confidential."

Her words don't really seem to appease the assemblyman, but before he can open his mouth to presumably tell her in not so many words to go to hell, Lana Cregg places her hand on her husband's arm and smiles apologetically at the detectives.

"I think my husband is reluctant to explain where he was two nights ago because no one will be able to confirm his story."

Jeff doesn't look at his wife, but the slight twitch of his eyebrow signals surprise, and Lisbon can already tell whatever alibi Lana Cregg produces, it will be false.

"I see. Well where were you, Mr. Cregg?"

She wonders if they had concocted this plan prior to the meeting, anticipating that certain questions would be raised, though she can't quite figure out how they would expect this.

Jeff looks down at his hands for a moment, before clearing his throat and meeting Lisbon's steely gaze again. "Every Thursday while Lana is at her book club meeting, I do a five mile run in Granite Regional Park."

"Alone?" Cho prompts.

Jeff nods, "Yes, alone Agent Cho. Is that a problem?"

"Not unless you're lying to us." Lisbon can't help but add and the fury that flashes in Jeff's eyes is a little unsettling.

"I don't like what you're implying, Agent Lisbon. Do I need to contact my lawyer?"

"No." Lisbon shakes her head and rises from the couch, prompting Cho to stand up as well. "I've done a few hikes in Granite Regional Park myself, and I am certain we will be able to confirm your story. Also Mrs. Cregg, if anyone can vouch for your presence at the book club that would be great."

Lana Cregg stands, smoothing the front of her skirt. "I'll get you the name of the woman who was hosting it this week."

Lisbon thanks her, and the blonde woman walks away.

"Mr. Cregg, I noticed an alarm system near the front door."

"Yes, it's for safety purposes." He nods, divulging very little, expression cold and unmoving.

"So you can theoretically keep track of who goes in and out of the house, correct?"

"Yes, where is this leading to, Agent Lisbon?"

"Who knows the alarm code?" She ignores his questioning, pressing on with her hunch. She noticed the security system when she and Jane had visited that morning, and now that Jane has asked her about the Creggs' alibis for the evening prior to the murder, her intuition is telling her to catalogue as much information as possible about the couple's comings and goings. They are obviously hiding something.

"Just my wife, my chief of staff, Agata, the housekeeper, and myself."

"Have you changed the code since Kyla's disappearance?"

Jeff Cregg looks confused for a moment, then shakes his head. "No, I don't think so. Anyway, is that all? My wife and I need some time to ourselves, so-…"

His voice trails off just as Lana Cregg appears in the doorway with a slip of paper, which she hands Lisbon with a small smile.

"Thank you, Mrs. Cregg. We'll be in touch."

Lisbon returns her smile with one of her own, before being impatiently escorted out. Once outside, Cho looks at her. "What was that about?"

"Oh, well Jane thinks Kyla came back here the night before her murder."

"Okay," Cho nods, though he remains somewhat unconvinced. Nevertheless, just like her, Cho has long since accepted Jane's strange methods of police work, especially since they usually produce results.

And really, this isn't the craziest conjecture Jane has ever had.

"I think they're lying about the alibi."

"Me too." Lisbon agrees, unlatching the car door. "As soon as we get back to the office, get in touch with Rebecca Watkins, Cregg's Chief of Staff, and confirm her story. I'll get Van Pelt to check out the housekeeper's alibi."

Cho nods in response before climbing into the passenger seat. It's only when he fastens his seat belt and Lisbon starts pulling out of the driveway that he turns to her and with a little bit of a smirk and says, "We should probably make sure Jane's hunch has some credibility to it first."

All Lisbon can do is nod in agreement, though Cho doesn't miss the hint of a smile on her face as she stares straight ahead.

TBC...


	5. Part V

**In Lieu of Retrospection**

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Rating: T

Spoiler: Six months after 2.22 (Red Letter)

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews on Part IV. I decided to post this part earlier than planned, because it's shorter and focuses more on the case. However, I promise the next part makes up for it, and I definitely have some reflection and J/L planned for after the case. Now that I'm done with the shameless pimping of this story, on with Part V. As always, thanks to Grace and Rach, they know why ;).

xxx

Part V

"Oh hey boss," Rigsby greets as soon as Lisbon reaches her office, "I tracked down Cindy Campbell finally, the ex-dancer."

Rigsby follows her in, sitting down as Lisbon removes her jacket.

"She admitted to coming in and demanding her paycheck from Hughes. Then she said she stayed for a drink and went home to relieve the babysitter. This was around 8:00 pm."

"Babysitter confirmed the story?" Lisbon asks, grabbing a sharpie off the board behind her desk and standing, ready to cross Campbell, C off the suspect list.

"Yup."

Lisbon nods and finally removes Cambpell's name from the board. She steps back to look at their dwindling list of suspects, with both Campbell's name and Rick Royal's crossed off. She did not even bother considering Rebecca Watkins as a possible suspect, but until Cho can confirm her alibi, she must be included.

Hastily, Lisbon writes the Chief of Staff in and snaps the marker shut. It's only then when she turns around that she notices a cup of coffee sitting on the corner of her desk, along with a paper bag with a logo of the coffee shop from down the street.

Lisbon smiles involuntarily, fully aware of who is responsible for her late afternoon snack. She only realizes that she's distracted when Rigsby clears his throat.

She looks back at him and immediately curses her fair skin tone, for she's certain the agent has caught her blushing. However, for all his assumed obliviousness, Rigsby still has an impeccable amount of tact and doesn't say a word.

Instead, when Lisbon peers into the to-go bag to find a strawberry scone, he eyes it hungrily and she breaks off half, offering it to him.

"Thanks boss," His eyes light up like a five year old's on Christmas morning, and Lisbon is forever grateful that his attention has been directed elsewhere. She takes a sip of her latte and hums in approval, before focusing back on the case.

"Okay, so we're ruling out Campbell. I guess being envious of Kyla taking her place wasn't enough motive for her."

Rigsby nods his consent, "unless she had someone do it for her, though it's unlikely, considering we've already decided it was a spontaneous murder."

"Right. Well, I need you to check something out."

She reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls out her note pad. From it, she rips off the top page and hands it to Rigsby, who is busy polishing off the pastry in his hand.

"This is the make and model of the Creggs' alarm system at home. I need you to track down the manufacturer and request a report on recent activity. I'm certain they can track every time the code gets punched in, and that's what we need."

"Okay," Rigsby nods, a little confusion furrowing his eyebrows, and Lisbon realizes that Jane probably didn't let him in on his theory. Frowning, she stands up, picks up her coffee, and ushers Rigsby out of her office.

"Jane has some warped idea that Kyla came back home the night before the murder. Now, Mrs. Cregg has an alibi for Thursday night; she was at a book club meeting. I haven't followed up on that, but it seems legitimate. Mr. Cregg on the other hand claimed to be on a five mile hike at Granite Regional Park that night."

"Alone?" Rigsby raises his eyebrows in suspicion.

"My thoughts exactly." Lisbon nods, as they walk slowly to the bullpen, "I've done hikes up there before, and there are security check points, especially at night. After you check out the security system, take Van Pelt up there; see what you can come up with."

"Sounds good," Rigsby nods, as they enter the bullpen.

Jane is lounging on his couch, eyes closed, but as soon as he hears Lisbon and Rigsby approach, he sits up, swinging his legs onto the floor. He catches Lisbon's eye as she walks in with Rigsby on her tail and smiles brightly at her when he spots the coffee cup secure in her hand.

Their eyes briefly meet, and Jane can see his gesture had the right affect on her. She doesn't exactly smile back, but she's not scowling at him either, and that's a feat all on its own.

On her way over here, Lisbon gave Van Pelt orders to check out the housekeeper's alibi, and so when Jane joins them by the red head's desk, the junior agent is debriefing her boss on what she found.

"Agata Espejo lives with her younger sister Mariel at a duplex over on Broadway. I called to make sure she was in before going over there, but it was actually her boyfriend who picked up. On weekends, Mariel works as a babysitter for a wealthy family in Antioch, so she will be back tomorrow morning. Should we drive over there?"

Lisbon stands for a moment, contemplating. She needs Rigsby on the security camera, Cho is tracking down Watkins, and she desperately needs to finish the left over paperwork from their last two cases before court on Tuesday.

"Don't think too hard," Jane teases good-naturedly as he stands besides her. He's actually teetering on his heels a little, excited to show Lisbon what he came up with, so he nudges her after some time.

Her head snaps up and she gives him a playfully menacing stare before turning to Van Pelt.

"We'll go to her house first thing tomorrow morning. Do you have anything new on the boyfriend?"

"Nope. I'm working with the CHP though. We assume he's on his bike since that's what he took off on when he left the club, so all rest stops and highway patrol has been notified from here down to 101." Van Pelt shakes her head, thick locks of auburn hair falling in her face.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jane spots Rigsby staring wistfully at the redhead, but he doesn't goad the heartbroken agent, allowing him a few moments of indulgent ogling.

"Okay, well keep working on that. After Rigsby's done with the security system, you guys go up to Granite Regional Park. I'll work on Mrs. Cregg's alibi."

"Yes, boss." Van Pelt nods, eyes drifting momentarily to Rigsby's desk, where he's busy on the phone. The look also doesn't go unnoticed by Jane, but he just smiles to himself. It's so painfully obvious that neither agent is over what happened between them. A little part of him, the one that loves a good romantic ending to every love story, is a little disappointed by Hightower's decision.

A tap on the shoulder breaks Jane out of his reverie.

"Now you," Lisbon tilts her coffee cup towards him, "have a lot of explaining to do."

There's a glint in her eye and even though she's probably exhausted, there's an air of vitality around her. He smiles gleefully at Lisbon before escorting her to the conference table.

He pulls out a chair for her, and Lisbon sits down while Jane walks over to the screen and picks up the remote.

"So the Creggs did four press conferences after Kyla's disappearance. Two in July and October of last year, one this January, and another one just a month ago."

"Okay," Lisbon nods, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes, so I'm assuming under the advice of one Cregg's PR people, they filmed the last one inside their home, in a very vain attempt to exude sympathy from the public in case Kyla was in fact kidnapped, even though I don't think either of them believed it. Anyway, the point is when I was in Kyla's bedroom this morning, I noticed she had quite the stuffed toy collection, but since there were no pictures in the house of her bedroom, I couldn't confirm my suspicions, until-…"

His voice trails off and he depresses the "play" button on the remote, letting the scene play out until it stops at his desired spot. Jane pauses it there and Lisbon raises her eyebrow at him in slight impatience.

She appreciates him not keeping her in the dark, but his desire to put on a show both amuses and annoys her. Most people would just get to the point, but with Jane, it's always a production, revealing his discoveries at his own pace and out of his own volition.

"Okay, here. You see the arrangement of her animals?" He reaches up to the screen, using the remote as a pointer to direct Lisbon's attention to Kyla's bed.

"Yes," Lisbon nods, and when Jane looks at her, he sees no recognition in her eye and frowns for a moment.

"C'mon Lisbon, tell me what you see." He urges her on and Lisbon scans the toy menagerie a few times, before fixing him with an annoyed glare, "If this is some game you're playing, I swear to God-…"

But she doesn't finish her sentence, because out of the corner of her eye she sees the box full of things from Kyla's dressing room sitting on the table, and it's only when she spots the stuffed head of Mr. Potato Head sticking out from the top, that it dawns on her.

She looks back at the screen just to double check that she's not seeing things, and when she meets Jane's gaze again, not even the slightly smug expression on his face can quell her excitement.

"She did go home." Lisbon says in almost a quiet marvel.

Jane smiles at her, definitely pleased with himself, as he sits down besides her.

"Yeah. I checked the Velvet Kittens' itinerary and they were doing a bunch of shows down in Southern California this past month, so Kyla couldn't have come back here at any other time besides when they arrived in Sacramento. That's when she took Mr. Potato Head here, which is why he's still in her room when they filmed this a month ago but not when I was in her bedroom today."

Lisbon nods, still obviously processing the information, but secretly very pleased with Jane's work. She looks over at him, a fondness in her eyes that Jane's not used to, and that fluttering feeling is back. He ignores it yet again, breaking her gaze and standing up to retrieve the video tape.

"How'd you know to check the tapes?" Lisbon asks, eager to understand his motives.

"There were two items that stood out to me on her dressing table; the picture of her and Beatts, and this toy." He explains, picking it up and looking at it fondly.

"Wait a second, did you say you checked the show's itinerary yourself?" Lisbon picks up her coffee to take a sip while Jane stares blankly at her.

"Uh yes? Why?"

"You mean to tell me that you, Patrick Jane, willingly used the Internet to confirm a lead?"

"Well Van Pelt was busy. What was I supposed to do?"

He shrugs and pouts, staring back at Lisbon like the child he can be sometimes. In turn, she just rolls her eyes, pushing off the chair and taking her coffee with her.

"Jeff Cregg said they hadn't changed the code on the alarm system, so if Kyla did go home, records will show that."

"Yes," Jane says somewhat excitedly, "and I am almost certain that whoever killed her had either seen her enter the house or was there when she came, otherwise how would he or she have known she was back? Up until last night, Kyla Cregg was still just a dancer, not a politician's missing daughter."

"True." Lisbon nods contemplatively, taking a sip from her cup, "but that's if you're operating under the assumption that whoever killed her wasn't someone she knew as Kyla Knight. We need to follow all possible leads, Jane."

"Lisbon c'mon, there's no motive for anyone from the show or the club to kill her. There's no suggestion that anyone discovered her real identity, and if you're going to say the boyfriend did it and fled, I'm going to have to disagree."

"And why is that?" Lisbon counters, setting her latte aside and fixing him with a pointed stare.

"Because, they really were in love." Jane answers as if it's the most obvious explanation, but Lisbon just smirks at him.

"So does that automatically exclude him from our list of suspects? Jane, the guy ran off as soon as they found the body, doesn't that seem suspicious to you?"

"He also has prior drug convictions and a DUI, which likely means he's doing something shady on the side now and didn't want cops to snoop around his personal records."

"So he runs off, placing even more suspicion on himself?" Lisbon shakes her head in disbelief, "that's got to be the stupidest thing anyone can do in this situation."

Jane lets out a laugh, leaning lazily against the table. "No one ever said this boy was smart, my dear."

Lisbon stands for a moment in deep thought, obviously mulling over Jane's words in her head, but eventually she concedes, body relaxing just slightly against the filing cabinet she's leaning on.

"Alright, I see your point. Either way, we can't do anything until we get the alarm code records. Until then, I want you to stay put, and I mean it Jane. No hassling the Creggs, even though I know you so badly want to."

Jane looks at her with mock hurt, although it's evident that she preemptively halted his plans, "I'm wounded that you would think I'd go to their residence without your knowledge. Seriously, Lisbon, that's upsetting."

She can't help her lip curving up anymore than she can help rolling her eyes. "Yeah right, because I have no prior experience with you disobeying my orders right?"

"Well you don't have to be so harsh about it."

This time, Lisbon doesn't conceal her laugh, openly chuckling at Jane's offended expression.

"I mean it, Jane. I've got paperwork, but I'll be watching you."

The blond suddenly perks up, straightening up, "Oooh, that sounds promising." He wiggles his eyebrows for affect, but Lisbon just shakes her head.

"Seriously, I have a ton of paperwork to do. I'd appreciate if I didn't have to babysit you."

"Nah," Jane shakes his head, already walking back towards his couch, "apparently that's Grace's job, isn't it?"

He winks at the junior agent, who looks up momentarily from her computer screen before rolling her eyes.

For a moment, as Lisbon watches Jane lie down on the couch in his customary pose, she wonders if this is too easy, but ultimately decides to take advantage of Jane's rare good behavior and start on the mountain of work waiting for her in the office.

At least, she has some caffeine in her system.

TBC…


	6. Part VI

**In Lieu of Retrospection**

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Rating: T

Spoiler: Six months after 2.22 (Red Letter)

A/N: Thanks again to all the reviewers, especially those of you who went back and reviewed every chapter as well as the readers who signed in anonymously. Seriously, to have this much feedback on my first case fic is amazing. I really hope you guys like this part, it takes a break from the investigation, but I doubt anyone will be complaining. Enjoy!

xxx

Part VI

Miraculously, Jane stays true to his word and spends the rest of the afternoon in the bullpen, alternating between sleeping, drinking tea, and going through more of Kyla's stuff.

Cho calls about an hour after Lisbon starts in on her paperwork to report that Thursday night, Rebecca Watkins was at a late night yoga seminar from 6 to 9 pm and then went out to dinner with a couple girlfriends who all corroborated her story.

Shortly after Van Pelt updated her, Lisbon decided to send Cho to speak with Mariel Espejo's boyfriend, just to make sure the information he gave Van Pelt over the phone was legitimate.

In fact, the sister wasn't home, and the boyfriend, Manuel Ramirez, was simply house sitting while Agata was with the Creggs. He hadn't seen Mariel for a couple days due to work obligations, so he couldn't confirm Agata's alibi for either of the two nights. However, he assured Cho that Agata had been with the Creggs for almost 20 years now and took Kyla's disappearance incredibly hard.

It was nearing the end of the day when Cho called her after leaving the Espejos' apartment, so she sent him home for the night. Rigsby got through to the security alarm manufacturer but they would only be able to produce any records the following day, so he and Van Pelt went to Granite Regional Park.

Evening was fast approaching by the time Lisbon actually got a hold of the woman hosting Lana Cregg's book club meeting Thursday night. Lisbon didn't know whether to feel relieved or agitated that their suspect pool was dwindling down, but she dutifully crossed Lana Cregg's name off the white board.

However a few minutes later, she had reason to be hopeful when Rigsby called to inform her that no one, even the security guards on duty two nights ago, could remember seeing Jeff Cregg jogging there. One man saw him a couple weeks before that but could vouch for the fact that the assemblyman was not a regular runner, at least not during his hours of duty, which were usually Tuesday and Thursday nights.

It seemed awfully suspicious to Lisbon, and she was eager to question the politician again. However a quick meeting with Hightower put a damper on her plans.

In short, Hightower concluded that he was not a flight risk and speaking to him for a third time that day would probably aggravate him more than produce results. Lisbon begrudgingly agreed, but not without warning her boss that she planned to speak with the Creggs first thing in the morning, and she would not afford the politician preferential treatment just because of his position, not when he was being uncooperative and probably lied about his alibi.

Hightower didn't seem too happy but consented in the end, leaving Lisbon hopeful as she left the supervisor's office.

Now, on her way back to the bullpen, she expects Jane to be gone, taking advantage of her absence to go question the Creggs, despite her direct order. Surprisingly however, he's actually there, lounging on the couch in her office.

"She said to hold off, huh?" He says more than asks, and Lisbon nods, displeasure written all over her face.

She sinks down into her chair, messaging her temples to stave off a headache, before returning to her paperwork.

"Eh, don't sweat it. It'll probably be more entertaining to get a crack at him tomorrow. He'd have had plenty of time to practice his poker face, and it'll be even more fun breaking him."

Jane says this with such an exaggerated expression of pure delight, Lisbon knows he's trying to cheer her up. She feels a little lighter somehow.

"Thanks for not going over there and causing a ruckus." She says quietly after a few moments and Jane's smile falters just slightly, barely a chink in his armor but Lisbon notices.

"I'm only doing what you asked." He counters; an innocent shrug of his shoulder, a hint of an impish smile on his face.

"Right," Lisbon looks on amusedly, "Since that happens so often, I shouldn't be surprised?"

Jane ponders for a moment, if only for affect, before reclining back on her couch, "Now you're just being mean, so I'll leave you to it."

Lisbon doesn't respond except to give him one more arched look before returning to her work again.

At some point, Jane excuses himself to make tea, and she's so focused on the report in front of her that she doesn't even notice the man standing in the threshold until he taps gently on the open door, catching her attention.

She doesn't recognize her intruder, but since he's dressed in dark pants, a striped white button down, a blue tie, and is holding his blazer and briefcase in his hand, Lisbon deduces that he must work somewhere in the building.

"Agent Lisbon, am I correct?"

It's only when he steps further into the room and shifts the placement of his right arm that she catches the glint off the badge clipped to his belt.

She frowns in surprise. Not only does this man work here, but he's also a cop and she's never seen him before.

After she doesn't say anything, he makes his way over and extends his right hand to shake hers.

"I'm Agent Michael Levit."

There's a hint of an Eastern European accent in his voice, and up close, his features attest to his overseas upbringing. He has a long, distinguished nose, a slight cleft in his chin, and extremely tanned skin matched with salt and pepper hair. His dark eyes are warm and inviting, though opaque, which gives him a certain air of detachment.

She shakes his hand and clears her throat, smiling suddenly to make up for her inhospitality up to this point, "I'm sorry, yes. It's nice to meet you. Will you be joining the CBI?"

"Oh, I already have. I will be the one heading the Serial Crimes Unit from now on."

And just like that, Lisbon is no longer as interested in getting to know this individual. Her hand drops to her side, abruptly severing contact. She was so curious about this man that she was completely unprepared for this, and now she can almost hear her heart palpitating in her chest as the initial shock wears off very slowly.

She wonders briefly why she never thought about Bosco's replacement, especially since her late mentor is never far from her mind. Though the last couple months have been so incredibly difficult, she can't exactly fault herself for being focused on other things, like saving her job.

Still, the pressure in her chest materializes out of nowhere and she takes a deep breath before speaking again, "Congratulations, you must be looking forward to it."

The gray haired man nods before replying, "Yes I most certainly am. In light of the circumstances that required a new captain for the unit, I wanted to introduce myself to you personally, just to avoid any awkwardness when Agent Hightower makes the formal announcement Monday morning."

Lisbon doesn't expect him to be so direct, yet so subtle. He doesn't mention the real reason his position had a vacancy, but alludes to it to let her know that he understands the delicate situation. It makes her unexpectedly more comfortable around him, diffusing some of the tension in the room.

"Well thank you, I really appreciate it. I'd like to welcome you to the CBI family then."

She smiles widely though professionally, politely acknowledging that this man seems to be intelligent and tactful, which is unfortunately a rare combination in male cops.

"Thank you, Agent Lisbon. It's late, I won't keep you. Have a good night."

"You too." Lisbon nods, exhaling deeply after Levit turns around, headed for the exit.

However, he pauses at the doorway.

"One more thing, Agent Lisbon. Needless to say, my being head of the unit is not going to change anything, case wise."

She must be so exhausted, she doesn't immediately understand what he's implying, but seeing the slightly somber expression on his previously smiling face forces the realization on her.

The Red John case is staying with her unit.

It's frightening to consider that that's exactly what the serial killer wants and Lisbon is almost inclined to refuse the offer, give the case back, have someone else deal with it.

Then she remembers the horrific scene she walked in on that morning in Bosco's office and the bile rises faster than she can prevent it. No one else should die like that, at Red John's bidding, and Lisbon takes a swallow of cold coffee before nodding to the agent standing by the door.

"I would hope so."

She can't help her stern voice, but hopes he doesn't get offended by the sudden shift in the air between them. Smiling understandingly at her, Agent Levit walks out of her office, and Lisbon picks up the report in front of her again.

She scans it for a moment, then suddenly realizes that in a few minutes Jane is going to saunter in here and figure out exactly who she was just talking to, which will no doubt lead to a confrontation of some sort. The urge to flee is consuming, because despite their recent closeness, there are things Jane and she do not talk about; his family is one, and Sam Bosco is the other.

She doesn't fight her overwhelming desire to escape.

Without thinking, Lisbon closes the report and begins to organize her paperwork as quickly as possible; however, she's not quick enough because in the middle of her cleaning, Jane walks in with his usual blue teacup, the matching saucer in tow.

Lisbon slows her movement but keeps her attention on the task, pretending nothing has changed since he left to make tea.

At first, Jane doesn't seem to notice anything amiss, or perhaps that's what he would like her to believe, but after a while, she can feel his eyes on her, a magnetic pull, coaxing her to look up.

"Who was that?" He asks quietly as soon as their gazes connect.

She doesn't want to tell him, knows he won't pity her, but actually saying it out loud makes her slightly nauseous. After a few seconds though, she realizes there's no point in lying to Jane or diverting the conversation elsewhere. He may be concerned, but he's equally determined and judging by his concentrated blue stare, he won't be backing down.

"Bosco's replacement," Lisbon replies curtly, determined not to let her true emotions show, even if she is honest about the facts.

"Oh."

Jane's face momentarily freezes in surprise, but she blinks and it's gone, replaced by his usual smile. However, this one isn't as exaggerated, and his eyes still reflect concern.

She holds his gaze for a few moments, until his worry proves to be too much. She doesn't need anyone to worry about her, it doesn't change anything, and really she's fine, just caught a little bit off guard.

She breaks eye contact, returns to gathering her things, and searches for her purse.

"You're going home?"

"Yes," Lisbon answers without looking at him. All of a sudden, she can't find her cell phone anywhere, and she focuses all her attention on retrieving the gadget since it's the only barrier to her leaving.

She's so consumed in her task that she doesn't notice Jane make his way over to sit on the edge of her desk until he's sitting right in front of her almost, her Blackberry in his hand.

"Looking for this?" He asks.

They're close enough that she can see the worry lines etched in his forehead, the creases surrounding his eyes. The crystal blue irises are darker somehow, weighed down by something.

Lisbon swallows involuntarily. "Thanks," she says, grabbing her cell phone and standing up to put on her jacket.

"You know I think I promised you a fun night out one of these days, and I don't see why we have to wait."

He says this so nonchalantly that Lisbon has half the intention of laughing it off, but then she meets his gaze and he stares back at her so genuinely that she can't help herself. She's rarely seen him be so earnest with her, but it's happened before and she knows he's only trying to help.

In his own way, he just wants to cheer her up.

Except, she's tired and knows that even distractions wont make this knot in her chest disappear.

"Now?" She asks incredulously, ignoring the flash of hurt in his eyes.

"What's holding you back anyway? It's not like we can make much headway with the case. Besides, aren't you even wondering where I'm going to take you?"

Lisbon wasn't thinking about that, mostly because she knows that when Jane's not being his irritatingly arrogant and frustrating self, he's actually a lot of fun. Perhaps that's what softens her to the idea of taking him up on his offer rather than retreating to her warm but lonely apartment.

"Alright fine, but since I haven't had a decent night's sleep in over three days, you're going to have to have me home by midnight."

Jane laughs heartily at her comment, before pushing off the desk and walking to the couch to retrieve his suit jacket.

"We'll see about that, Agent Lisbon."

He says before walking her out, his touch barely perceptible yet warm on the small of her back.

xxx

In the years Lisbon has lived in Sacramento, she never knew these types of theatres still existed.

This one is in the middle of nowhere, an hour out of the city, but still, when they pulled into the clearing and she realized Jane had taken her to a drive-in movie theatre, she was pleasantly surprised.

As soon as Jane stops, finding a clear enough spot between several cars, she can't help but turn in her seat to face the blond.

"Did you bring jumper cables?" She grins, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"What for?" Jane asks, already fiddling with radio to get adequate reception.

"You think this contraption will hold out for the two hours of the movie and the ride home?"

The car engine roars loudly and Lisbon can't stifle a laugh as a trace of worry crosses Jane's usually composed features. He contemplates for a moment, before relaxing back against his seat, padding the wheel affectionately,

"She's never let me down before. Nothing to worry about."

Lisbon nods, though she's skeptical. Nevertheless, she stops her teasing and picks up the brochure they received at the entrance.

"So, what movie are we watching?"

She's looking over the pamphlet, so she doesn't notice Jane smiling at her, pleased that he managed to coax her out for the evening. He'd seen the subtle change in her demeanor as soon as he re-entered her office with his tea. She wasn't just tired anymore, but rather on edge and a little sorrowful. She tried to hide it really well, but he could see through her composure in a second. Upon discovering whom she met while he was preparing tea, he shoved away his own concerns, in particular what would happen to the Red John case, to focus on Lisbon.

It's unusual for him to prioritize anything before the Red John case, and for most of the drive here, he was feeling a little uneasy about it. However, now seeing Lisbon smile and tease him, no longer as tense as she was just an hour ago, makes him think that his actions are worth it.

And that particular thought, instead of terrifying him, actually motivates him to maintain the relaxed expression on her face.

"Whatever you want." He says, then rubs his stomach a little, "I'm famished. Would you like anything?"

"Hmm. Why don't you surprise me?" Lisbon looks up from the brochure, green eyes twinkling with mirth.

He doubts he'll ever tire of eliciting that reaction from her.

"Your wish is my command, dear." He teases back, before getting out of the car. He closes the door but hesitates, turning around and peering into the car again.

"Oh hey, Lisbon, considering how fond you are of my baby here, I do sincerely hope that you don't drive away while I'm gone. That would be most cruel."

Lisbon's face lights up as if he's given her the most amazing idea, but ultimately she waves Jane off, shaking her head at him.

"I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

She says this somewhat sarcastically, but the words linger long after he makes his way back from the concession stand to surprise her with Twizzlers and extra buttered popcorn - her favorite movie snack.

xxx

They end up deciding on _Annie Hall _because Jane dares to say that Woody Allen's best picture is _Play it again, Sam_ and Lisbon makes it her mission to change his mind. At some point, it stops being about that, though, and she finds herself settled in quite comfortably with a handful of popcorn and Jane sitting besides her, making the occasional inappropriate comment but overall behaving quite well.

It's only on the drive back as she tries hard to keep her eyes open that it occurs to her that she hadn't thought of Agent Levit, or the Red John case, or even Sam until now. It makes her look over at the man driving, really look at him, past the suit, past the charming smile, past the glint in her eyes.

Warmth settles low in her belly, but it doesn't unnerve her. Instead, it gives her a bit of confidence and, rather than retreating into herself, as she's been known to do on occasion, Lisbon decides to break the silence in the car.

"So what's the final verdict," she asks, twisting her body to face him. "Did I convince you or what?"

Jane tears his focus from the road for a moment and smiles at her.

"Oh well, _Play it again, Sam_ is still his best film, but Annie Hall was a lot better than I remembered it to be."

"Really?" Lisbon raises her eyebrow, not convinced. "Why is that?"

"The company probably had something to do with it." He doesn't look away from the road this time, and Lisbon is thankful, because if anything her blush intensifies and she has to look away.

Jane is a flirt. That much is evident within ten minutes of meeting him, but something about tonight makes her more aware of his looks, his touches, and especially his words. It also leaves her with the pleasant reminder that she's a woman underneath her badge and gun, just like Jane is a man beneath his bravado and three-piece suits.

She's not sure how to categorize this new revelation, but it makes her feel good so she revels in it without thinking too much. They don't talk about anything important on the ride home, just easy, comfortable conversation. But when they pull up to her car in the CBI parking lot, Lisbon tells him honestly that she had a good time, and thanks him just as earnestly for taking her mind off of things.

Jane looks at her unfamiliarly for a moment, before smiling and leaning across her to open the passenger door. The movement brings him impossibly closer, and when Jane looks at her, she can see the speckles of green in his irises.

His gaze roams over her face for a moment before finally settling on her eyes; the confusion he finds there is so endearing that his hand twitches at his side.

But he doesn't touch her. Instead he reclines back in his seat, breaking the tension between them with a rueful smile.

"Anytime, Lisbon."

It's simple but meaningful, and Lisbon spends the rest of her evening with a lazy smile on her face, thoughts of everything that plagued her previously far from her mind.

TBC...


	7. Part VII

**In Lieu of Retrospection**

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Rating: T

Spoiler: Six months after 2.22 (Red Letter)

A/N: So I'm back from a glorious vacation in NY, which is officially my second favorite city after San Francisco. I loved the break, but missed updating and am posting Part VII as soon as I can. I'm seriously excited about this chapter, because case wise, it was one of my favorites to write and it pushes things forward. I'm quite eager to see what you all think.

Thank you for all the wonderful feedback on the story thus far. I'm glad that everyone liked Part VI so much, because in some ways it's a pivotal point in the story. Thank you to all the anonymous reviewers as well, including **Anna** and **dogeatdog**. You guys are the bomb! Grace and Rach, thank you for betaing and inspiring respectively.

xxx

Part VII

Although it's Sunday morning, it feels like an ordinary work day at the CBI. Apparently, the Organized Crimes Unit is in the midst of a very important drug bust, so the entire floor is buzzing with activity.

The Serious Crimes Unit occupies the conference table in the back of the bullpen, a box of donuts and a tray of coffee stand in the middle, while Rigsby goes over the records from the security system company.

"The system records every time someone punches in the code. On Thursday night, the machine recorded one entry at 8:34 pm and another at 8:45 pm." He explains between bites of a chocolate glazed confection.

"That's strange. If the code was punched in less than ten minutes before, wouldn't it be disabled when the second person entered?" Van Pelt theorizes, taking a sip of coffee.

"I thought the same thing, so I double checked with the rep from the company, and he said that there is a code you can punch in to lock the house from the inside. There was a recording of that at 8:35 pm." Rigsby confirms, marking the number on his sheet.

"So if Kyla punched in the first code, it would make sense for her to lock it from the inside. In case someone else came home during her visit, she could escape without the person realizing anyone has been inside the house." Lisbon's gaze falls on Jane as she speaks, mostly because he's sitting directly in her line of vision.

He catches her looking at him and smiles back in acknowledgement, in agreement with her.

"What if she did escape without the person's knowledge? We don't have proof that there was any interaction between her and the second person, at least not through the alarm code."

Cho brainstorms as he scans his copy of the list.

"Oh, but we do, Cho. According to the records, the code was punched in twice at 8:45 pm, confirming that whoever came in next locked it from the inside too, and the next code is punched in at approximately 9:05 pm, which means whoever left at that time, and it was likely Kyla, couldn't have fled without the other person knowing about it."

Jane speaks with a hint of childlike excitement that seems to come out any time they're close enough to cracking a case. Even though all this evidence is circumstantial and doesn't exactly isolate their killer, if they can flush out a timeline from this, it could help them figure out if anyone from Kyla's past had known she was back.

If any of the people with access to the house did know and had not brought it up, it would definitely be suspicious, and since Jeff Cregg had yet to tell the truth about his alibi, Lisbon is banking on him as being the one in the house with Kyla that night, if Kyla came home at all.

Jane's theory about Kyla showing up at home appeared credible the day before, but Lisbon knows that they need more evidence if the DA has any chance of building a case against a politician, especially one as liberal and well liked as Jeff Cregg is in the community.

God knows, Hightower will be on her ass to make sure the case is iron clad. Right now, it's not, and Lisbon frowns at the thought.

Jane must notice it because he presses further, "Also, from what I understand the alarm code is activated to control all the doors in the house, which means if Kyla were to flee from another door, the alarm would sound."

"So it's basically impossible for anyone to leave without alerting the other person, huh?" Van Pelt states more than asks.

"Exactly," Jane confirms her thoughts.

"It's still circumstantial, and we have no definite proof that it was Kyla that night." Lisbon interjects.

"Oh c'mon Lisbon. It's obvious from the tape that she'd gone home at some point, and the Velvet Kittens only arrived in Sacramento Thursday morning. Also, isn't it a little suspicious that of the four people who have access to the house, one is lying about his alibi and the other we haven't confirmed?"

"Yes, Jane, it is suspicious, but suspicious isn't what wins cases." Lisbon explains, taking a sip of much needed coffee. "If we're looking at Jeff Cregg for this, it will cause a complete and utter scandal if he's wrongly accused of murdering his daughter, especially if we're basing this on a hypothetical encounter the night before."

"Remember, he also has an alibi for Friday night." Rigsby cuts in. He's just polished off the donut, and Van Pelt, who's sitting besides him, can't help leaning over and brushing the crumbs off his shirt.

Rigsby catches her eye as soon as she does so, and she feels instantly embarrassed. The phone rings on her desk at that exact second, and Van Pelt lets out a breath, relieved to be forced out of the awkward situation.

"Pssht. You think that a room full of snooty, self-absorbed rich people counts as an alibi? Jeff Cregg could have easily slipped out for the hour it would have taken to get to the club, kill his daughter, and get back to the benefit without anyone noticing."

Jane leans back self-assuredly, and Lisbon heaves a deep sigh, knowing that her consultant could very possibly be right. Yet they have no proof unless they question every single person at the benefit, and that task seems almost counterproductive.

They desperately need to speak with the Creggs before making any further claims.

Gathering the papers in front of her, Lisbon prepares to dispense tasks when Van Pelt hangs up the phone.

"Boss, they found Seth Beatts. I guess he was lying low because he didn't get very far. They're holding him at a local police station in Lake Tahoe."

"Great work, Van Pelt. Cho, Rigsby, go pick the boy up. Grace, you go talk to Mariel Espejo. Take Jane with you."

The team disperses while Jane takes his time slipping on his jacket, and Lisbon gives him a pointed stare before snagging a glazed donut with sprinkles from the box. "You, behave."

Jane watches her bite into the pastry and smiles impishly, "Yes, boss."

xxx

"Look, it's not what you think. I had nothing to do with this."

From the observation room, Lisbon can't help smirking when Seth Beatts says this as soon as Cho and Rigsby sit down across from him.

"Oh really. So why did you ride away almost as soon as Kyla's body was discovered?" Rigsby asks sternly, while Cho opens the file sitting on the table.

At Rigsby's words, Seth winces noticeably, which instantly makes Lisbon frown. She hadn't expected him to be involved, but even so, it would have been nice if his reaction wasn't so obviously one of discomfort at the mention of Kyla's body.

The anguish is written all over his face, and though she'd like to chalk it up to him being nervous, Lisbon can't. She might not have Jane's keen observation skills, but she's a cop and a damn good one, and her instincts tell her that this kid had nothing to do with the murder.

Releasing an overdue puff of air, she surmises that her boys have it under control and reluctantly leaves the observation room only to run into Jane, who was obviously heading into the room.

"Oh hey, you're back." She didn't expect them to come back so soon, but she is actually grateful that Jane will be present for the interview with Jeff Cregg.

"Yup, how's the boy?"

"He didn't do it," Lisbon shakes her head as they walk towards the break room.

"Well, I did say that," Jane comments, nudging her playfully, and Lisbon chuckles at his competitive nature. "Yes you did, and now that I've seen for myself, I agree. I'm going to have the boys grill him for a bit. Maybe Kyla told him something useful; they were close after all."

"Good idea," Jane concurs, extracting his usual blue teacup from the cupboard as Lisbon changes the filter in the coffee machine.

"How was the interview with Mariel Espejo. Alibi check out?"

"I'll tell you later," Jane says vaguely, and Lisbon stops her task to quirk an eyebrow at him.

"You know I hate when you do that." She mutters disapprovingly before moving him aside to fill the coffee pot with water.

"Do what?" Jane asks innocently.

"Be so ambiguous. Why can't you just answer the question?"

She pours the water into the percolator and turns to Jane again. She catches him looking at her with a wistful sort of expression. "What?"

"Nothing," He shrugs innocently, returning his attention back to the tea.

"Well, why can't you just be direct, huh?"

She can almost predict the second his face changes and his customary grin returns. "Because, what would be the fun in that?" He asks teasingly, before taking a sip from his cup.

Lisbon rolls her eyes, but just as she's about to retort, Van Pelt appears, letting them know that Jeff Cregg has arrived…with his lawyer.

xxx

Jeff Cregg's attorney is a tall, heavy set man with a graying goatee and an emotionless expression.

The moment he introduces himself, Lisbon knows she'll more than likely have to play referee in this case if Jane's unimpressed and slightly annoyed look is any indication.

She looks over her shoulder for a second, and although she doesn't know for sure if her boss is even watching this, she almost feels Hightower's stare boring into her, reminding her yet again how delicate the situation is.

Impulsively Lisbon pokes Jane underneath the table, and he looks at her in surprise. She fixes him with a stern gaze, then turns her attention back to Cregg who seems genuinely apologetic about the whole thing, a deep contrast to his intimidating attorney.

"I hope you understand, Agent Lisbon, that my client is here only as a courtesy to the CBI and his earnest desire to aid the investigation in anyway he can."

A natural surge of defiance bubbles to the surface at the lawyer's condescending tone, but Lisbon pushes it down, as she so often does, and simply nods before stating the obvious.

"How come you are accompanying him then, Mr. Coburn?"

"I'm here to make sure that Assemblyman Cregg does not get harassed by your people." He explains, casting a dubious look in Jane's direction. Jane pretends to be offended for a few moments, before smiling again.

Lisbon opens her mouth to retort, but Jane beats her to it, leaning forward conspiratorially, "Tell me, Mr. Cregg, which one of you decided to name your daughter, Kyla. You or your wife?"

Lisbon shoots Jane a preemptively annoyed look, but he ignores her, watching Cregg's reaction instead. The politician tenses up noticeably, glancing first at his lawyer and then at Jane.

"You don't have to answer that, Mr. Cregg. In fact you don't have to answer any questions these people have."

Jeff seems to contemplate this for a moment, but eventually he just shakes his head. "It's fine Anthony. It was my wife's decision, Mr. Jane. I don't mind admitting that, but what does this have to do with the case?"

"Oh it doesn't." Jane lies, reclining back in his chair with a practiced ease, "I was just curious. Pretty name, that's all."

Lisbon has the greatest urge to roll her eyes, but she settles for poking Jane underneath the table again, a far more discreet but probably fruitless indication of her displeasure.

The lawyer looks at Jane suspiciously for a moment before diverting his attention to Lisbon. Unfortunately, he's not as discreet about his dislike of the consultant's words.

"Look, Agent Lisbon, if this is all-…"

His voice trails off and she scowls.

"No Mr. Coburn, this is not all. We checked the security logs from Thursday night and it appears that at the time that Mr. Cregg was supposedly on his run, a run which no one can confirm by the way, the security code was punched in twice at his home, suggesting that two people entered the residence separately. We have reason to believe that Kyla was one of those people."

"Kyla?" Jeff Cregg manages to choke out and Lisbon's frown deepens.

Either this man is a great actor, which is likely because he's so often in the public eye, or he genuinely didn't know Kyla came home Thursday night. She's inclined to believe the latter, and a quick glance at Jane confirms her story. He seems to be thinking the same thing.

"Yes. Kyla, Mr. Cregg. This of course complicates matters because we cannot confirm your alibi. If you had been the one to see your daughter the night before she was murdered and forgot to mention that, you can see why we needed to speak with you again."

"Agent Lisbon, are you forgetting that my client was at a social function Friday night from 7 pm until he had to leave because he learned of his daughter's murder?"

Lisbon meets Coburn's eye, but before she can speak, Jane does.

"We can place you at the benefit, Mr. Cregg, but there were over a hundred guests that night, and considering the location, it wouldn't have been hard for you to commit the murder. From personal experience, I can attest to the fact that at those social functions, no one pays any attention to anyone other than themselves unless there's gossip involved."

A few emotions flash cross the lawyer's face and Lisbon is certain they mirror her reaction. However, Jeff Cregg looks nothing but a little confused by Jane's suggestion.

"You really think I killed my own daughter?"

Before Jane can answer and do something to further irate the displeased lawyer sitting across from them, Lisbon cuts in, "Mr. Cregg, we're not accusing you of anything…yet."

She glances briefly at the lawyer before speaking again, "Look Mr. Cregg, we understand how hard this situation has been for you, but while your wife has an ironclad alibi for Thursday evening, as do your chief of staff and your housekeeper." At least Lisbon earnestly hopes so, "it's very difficult for us to rule you out as well, because no one can confirm that you were at Granite Regional Park. Therefore, we have no choice but to suspect you."

In interrogations, Lisbon is everything Jane isn't, and he's known that for quite some time now. While he usually has the same approach to all his interviewees, albeit with a few variations depending on to whom he's speaking, Lisbon is a chameleon.

She adopts a different tone, demeanor, and expression in every interrogation, which always seems catered to the person she's questioning. He may be the charmer and the know-it-all, but she's the quiet manipulator, coaxing confessions and information out of people instead of figuring it out through observation like he does.

It garners results almost always, and when Jane watches the varying emotions displayed on Jeff Cregg's thin face, he doesn't add anything to Lisbon's words because he's almost certain the man is about to crack.

That's why the knock on the door can't come at a more inconvenient time. Rigsby pokes his head in eagerly, eyes conveying that he has obtained new information, and Lisbon quietly excuses herself, giving Jane a warning glare before she disappears outside.

Instead of goading the politician, Jane tries to maintain the previous air of calm, thinking it most conducive to Cregg being honest. Therefore when Lisbon returns, she seems pleasantly surprised that everyone remains intact.

The surprise is replaced immediately with a muted expression of triumph, and Jane is now genuinely curious about what Rigsby got off the boyfriend.

"Okay Mr. Cregg. Now that you've thought about it, are you ready to tell us where you were on Thursday night?"

One look at his attorney and Jeff Cregg faces Lisbon again. For the most part, he looks composed so Jane wonders what he will say.

"I already told you, Agent Lisbon. I was at Granite Regional Park."

Instead of defeat, Lisbon juts her chin out more and narrows her eyes at the politician, opening the file she obtained from Rigsby onto the desk. Inside is a copy of the photograph reel Jane found in Kyla's dressing area. Lisbon points to Seth Beatts' face.

"This was Kyla's boyfriend. Another dancer in her burlesque show."

Jeff Cregg stares blankly at Lisbon, but Jane can tell that the photograph of his daughter upsets the dark haired man.

"He's the second person to suggest that Kyla running away very much had to do with a disagreement she had with you and your wife the night before she left. Both you and your wife misled us, and that makes it twice that you've lied to us, Mr. Cregg. It's certainly not enough to charge you with anything, but I don't think it would look good to the public if it was somehow made known that Assemblyman Jeff Cregg was being uncooperative in the murder investigation of his own daughter."

All three men look at her with slight bewilderment in their eyes, even Jane. She resembles a cunning but sneaky predator, innocent looking but quite deadly. Jeff Cregg appears most discomfited by her words, and Jane wonders how he'd ever gotten as far as he has in politics.

He has the most awful poker face.

"You can't do anything of the sort, Agent Lisbon. Your agency will be sued for slander." Mr. Coburn warns calmly, but Jane can tell by the way he clasps his hands so tightly that the bearded man is losing patience and quickly.

Go, Lisbon.

"I assure you, Mr. Coburn, nothing slanderous has occurred, nor will it, if Mr. Cregg tells the truth."

She squares her eyes at Coburn, and the tension between them snaps. Exhaling deeply, the attorney turns to Cregg and opens his mouth to speak, but the politician touches his arm and says in a very quiet voice, "Anthony, could you leave the room please?"

The lawyer looks surprised, but retains composure, "Jeff, that's not a good idea."

He says so in a tone that implies he knows what Cregg is about to tell them, and Lisbon slides imperceptibly to the edge of her seat, feeling a smidgen of pride in her ability to break Cregg.

One glance at Jane tells her he's equally impressed by her.

The lawyer acquiesces and gathers his things, before he walks out of the room though, he warns Lisbon one more time, "nothing you say here is admissible in court, do you understand that?"

"Yes, sir." Lisbon nods allowing a small trace of a smug smile, before turning her attention back to Cregg.

The politician shrugs off his jacket and slips it onto the back of his chair before beginning to pace.

"There's no one behind the mirror is there?" He asks, gesturing behind them, and although Lisbon isn't actually sure whether Hightower is watching the interview or not, she shakes her head.

"Okay, because my career is very important to me. Since I was a teenager, this has been my entire goal. I've worked for over 25 years for my political accomplishment; I cannot lose it." He looks nervously between Jane and Lisbon, eyes pleading with them to understand and Lisbon can't help feeling a little sympathetic for the man.

Jane, however, finds this as the perfect moment to catch both of them off guard.

"Kyla isn't your biological daughter, is she?"

Lisbon had not seen that one coming, but she's spent her fair share of interviews being baffled by Jane, thus she doesn't flinch while Jeff Cregg seems absolutely startled. However, instead of disputing Jane, he nods mutely.

"How did you know?" He asks after a moment, pulling his chair out to sit down again.

"Well, I did a little research on you. You're from a wealthy political family back east. Finished Phillip Exeter Academy, then Harvard University and Stanford Business school; you were practically groomed for the political spotlight, Mr. Cregg. I assume your parents were both extremely conservative and politically driven, probably belonged to a country club or two. Your mother must have been opinionated and oppressive. In short, she would have never allowed you to name your daughter Kyla; lovely name that it is."

Lisbon can't help her lip curving upward as Jane presents his reasoning; it's truly fascinating how the man's mind works. When he's causing little damage, she can appreciate how astute he is, how quickly he creates connections, pieces together the puzzle.

Jeff lets out a humorless laugh before looking down at his wedding band. "I met Lana when I was at Stanford. She worked in my favorite coffee shop in Palo Alto, and we became very good friends. Eventually she moved to LA to pursue acting, and we lost touch. Then a couple years later, when I was on my first campaign trail, she shows up at my apartment with a 3 month old baby. She says her boyfriend kicked her out, left her with nothing; he had a nasty heroin habit that she inevitably picked up. She had nowhere else to go and recognized me from some newspaper, somehow found my address.

I wasn't married at the time, which wasn't helping my political aspirations, and Lana was basically homeless. We agreed that I'd help her get clean and take care of Kyla, and in exchange she would become my wife and I would pay for her education so she can pursue a career worthy of a politician's wife."

The politician pauses for a moment, expelling a heavy sigh before glancing over at Jane, "I never thought to change my daughter's name, it fit her so well; but you're right. My mother absolutely abhorred it, took her some getting used to."

He picks up the photograph reel then, thumb brushing over Kyla's face.

"That's what Kyla found out the night before she ran away." Jane states more than asks, and Jeff Cregg nods, eyes still focused on the photograph.

"I would never do this. You have no idea how much I loved my daughter."

He looks at Jane when he says this and Lisbon feels her heart twist unexpectedly at the irony of Cregg's admission. Jane's face is impenetrable, but his gaze gently reminds Lisbon that out of everyone, it would be he who could sympathize with Jeff Cregg the most.

Desperate to lift the tension in the room, Lisbon speaks softly, "So Mr. Cregg, where were you Thursday night?"

Jeff looks at her with a hint of alarm in his gaze, probably startled to be asked the same question again, but Lisbon doesn't waver, maintaining eye contact until the politician leans back in his chair, letting out a puff of air as he looks down.

"Same place I was at a year ago when Kyla followed me the night before she ran away, the Holiday Inn off the Bayshore Exit on 92."

"What were you doing there, Mr. Cregg?"

"I was meeting my boyfriend."

xxx

"Cregg's alibi checked out, boss. His boyfriend, a firefighter by the name of Allan Loyd, confirmed it. They've been seeing each other for about two years."

"Thanks, Cho." Lisbon smiles resignedly at her second in command, before turning around and crossing Jeff Cregg's name off the suspect list; after another moment, she crosses off Seth Beatts' too.

"And then there were none." She murmurs to herself, pivoting back to her desk and running a hand through her hair.

"God this is such a melodrama," she adds, scanning her notes from the Cregg interview. "No wonder the girl ran away."

Jane makes a noise from the couch, but Lisbon doesn't even look up, too focused on searching for the missing link. Eventually though, she gives up, reclining back in her chair and rubbing the bridge of her nose in fatigue.

She catches sight of Jane peacefully napping on her couch. He must feel her stare on him because he cracks open one eye and then the other, sending her a brilliant smile.

Lisbon scowls.

"What's got you in such a chipper mood? We're back to square one, here."

Instead of answering her, Jane gets up and stretches, looking at Lisbon through hooded but mischievous blue eyes.

"Nothing really, except that I know who killed Kyla Cregg."

TBC…


	8. Part VIII

**In Lieu of Retrospection**

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Rating: T

Spoiler: Six months after 2.22 (Red Letter)

A/N: Hey everyone. Thank you to all my kind and amazingly enthusiastic readers. I really appreciate all the feedback on this story. In this part, **Chiisana Minako** helped me with the Spanish translations and as always, Grace was an amazing editor. Thanks again to all the anonymous reviewers as well and Rach for the kickass prompt. You guys are wonderful!

xxx

Part VIII

"This better work," Lisbon hisses in warning, but Jane just smiles self-assuredly.

"It will, trust me."

Lisbon makes a sound of disapproval but walks through the door Jane holds open for her.

Mariel Espejo is a smaller, slightly shorter version of her older sister. Both women have dark eyes and dark hair, which they both wear pulled back into a twist. Mariel is also equally dark skinned, paying homage to her South American upbringing, while a thick golden cross peeks out from under her white shirt. The rosary is identical to the one Lisbon remembers Agata Espejo clutching during their first interview with the Creggs.

"Mariel, thank you for coming." Jane greets her, making it seem as if the woman had a choice.

"Hello Mr. Jane, it's nice to see you again." Mariel replies in broken English, but her smile is genuine and Lisbon doesn't need any further indication that this is yet another woman who has fallen for Patrick Jane's charm.

"Mariel, this is my colleague Agent Lisbon, and she'd like to clear up some things about the statement you gave yesterday regarding your sister."

Mariel nods but despite her consent, tenses visibly at the mention of her sister. Her hands find themselves clasped together on the table. Lisbon yearns to look over at Jane, just to gauge his reaction to the woman's obvious anxiety, but she stares straight ahead, focusing on the interview.

"Ms. Espejo, you said that your sister had been with you, at home on both Thursday and Friday night of last week, correct?"

"Yes."

"Well, we have evidence that two people entered the house on Thursday evening, using the alarm code to get in. The only people who know how know that code are Mr. and Mrs. Cregg, Mr. Cregg's Chief of Staff, Kyla Cregg, and your sister. We know one of the people entering that night was in fact Kyla Cregg, and we have reason to believe the other person was your sister."

"My sister?" Mariel looks alarmed for a moment, but replaces it quickly with indignation, hands clasped so tightly her knuckles turn white, a stark contrast to her naturally tanned skin. "She would not do that."

"Do what exactly?" Lisbon counters with a suspicious eye.

The two women stare at each other, until Lisbon relaxes a little, "Ms. Espejo, this is the time you tell us what you know. If we find that your sister is in any way responsible for the death of Kyla Cregg, you will be charged as an accessory to murder, do you understand that?"

For a moment, it seems like Lisbon's words really get to the older woman, as she contemplates, looking down at the table. Lisbon takes the second to glance over at Jane, who is staring ahead in concentration.

Lisbon's not sure what she's expecting but when Mariel looks up again, the resolve in her eye is evident.

"My sister was with me." Mariel says, and Lisbon immediately frowns. She really did not want to execute this plan of Jane's but now sees no other options.

Its obvious Mariel is covering for her sister, but without her admission, they have no proof. She scowls but gives Jane the imperceptible nod, permission to go ahead with their plan.

"Mariel, how much do you know about your boyfriend's citizenship status in the U.S.?"

Jane leans forward, resting his arm on the table as he speaks.

"Manny? What does he have to do with this?"

This time, the fear on the woman's face is palpable, and her hands reach up to her cross, fingers wrapping around it almost absentmindedly.

"Turns out he's not exactly a legal immigrant and well, we can't really overlook that kind of information once it falls into our hands." Jane explains, his calm demeanor a grave distinction from Mariel Espejo's frightful expression.

"What are you saying? Is he going to be deported? But he's a legal immigrant; I've seen his papers myself."

With every passing syllable, the woman's accent comes out more, words barely recognizable as she begins to visibly shake, and Lisbon feels her chest tightening at the sight. She almost wants to put a stop to it, find another way to connect Agata Espejo to the murder, but the knowledge that they've done everything they can keeps her composed.

"Meh, apparently his papers are not very legitimate. So look, Mariel. You have a choice here. Either you tell us the truth or Agent Lisbon is going to let the two agents sitting outside of your apartment building know that they can take Manuel into custody. It's up to you."

Lisbon feels almost as on edge as Mariel appears to be, praying the woman doesn't ask for a lawyer or pushes further into the matter. Otherwise their plan will be blown and Hightower will be pissed as hell.

As always with Jane's plans, everything is an illusion. Manuel Ruiz earned his citizenship three years ago, and there are no agents outside the Espejos' apartment waiting to arrest him. Of course, judging by her ashen face and panicked eyes, Mariel Espejo seems to believe every part of Jane's story.

A few moments of tense silence pass in which Jane watches the varying emotions on Mariel's face. She's expectedly ambivalent but still hesitant, so he nudges Lisbon on the shoulder.

"Lisbon, I think it's time you give Agent Cho and Van Pelt the go ahead to get into the apartment."

Lisbon glances hopefully to Mariel. She's not a good actress under duress and would prefer not to fake any phone calls, especially to agents who are still in the building, but the woman stays silent so Lisbon reaches for her Blackberry.

Just as she's about to punch in Cho's number, Mariel stops her, "wait!"

Her hand reaches out across the table.

Lisbon sighs in relief and puts her cell phone away.

Taking a deep breath and wrapping her slender fingers around her cross, she looks at the couple sitting across from her and says, "I'll tell you everything."

xxx

"That went well, and you were worried." Jane teases as soon as they walk out of the interrogation room.

"Let's just hope she doesn't decide to sue us when she finds out that her boyfriend is actually here legally." Lisbon counters, already walking to the direction of her office.

Jane opens his mouth to reply, but out of the corner of his eye sees Hightower approaching, her expression indecipherable.

"Agata Espejo is in interrogation room B, Agent Cho is waiting for you there. The Creggs showed up shortly after that, which is of course not ideal, but I had Van Pelt escort Mrs. Cregg into the kitchenette. Mr. Cregg is another story; he wants to speak with you, Agent Lisbon. I trust the conversation with Ms. Espejo went well?"

"Yes it did." Lisbon nods, changing direction. "We got what we needed. Rigsby is in there drafting an official statement."

"Very good," Hightower compliments, and Jane watches Lisbon thank her confidently, a far cry from the type of interaction they would have had even three months ago.

The trio stops at the interrogation room entrance, where Jeff Cregg is pacing back and forth in the hall, deep in thought. As soon as he sees them, he strides over determinedly, looking at Lisbon in particular.

"What is the meaning of this? Why is Agata being questioned?"

He has an air of confusion and turmoil about him, but beneath all that, Jane detects awareness. Jeff Cregg is not a stupid man, and if it were up to Jane he would tell him exactly why the housekeeper was brought in, but that's probably why he has the highest complaint list of any CBI employee.

"Mr. Cregg, if you would just accompany me and my supervisor into the room right here, you can be present while Mr. Jane and Agent Cho speak with Ms. Espejo. That will hopefully answer all your questions."

Lisbon's calm voice and concerned eyes appear to subdue Mr. Cregg enough for him to consent. Jane watches with admiration as Lisbon holds the door open for Cregg, and Hightower and gives him a look that warns him not to screw up.

Jane simply grins at her and walks into the interrogation room.

xxx

Agata Espejo's face lights up with recognition when Jane enters the room and despite not wanting to spare any pleasantries, Jane smiles briefly, before sliding into a stool besides Cho.

"I apologize if I interrupted anything, Agent Cho."

"You didn't." Cho replies stoically, staring at the woman across from him. Jane nods and glancing once over his shoulder, sliding his blazer off.

"I had a lovely conversation with your sister, Ms. Espejo. You two seem very close." He begins, while rolling up his sleeves.

He doesn't miss the flash of discomfort in the dark brown eyes watching him.

"You two grew up in a big family in Ecuador?" Jane continues, effectively creating an air of calm and nonchalance by not looking directly at the housekeeper.

Regardless, the woman remains very tense and guarded; her response is clipped and to the point.

"Yes, we did. I don't understand why you are asking me any of this? Why am I here, and what do you need Mariel for? She has work today. It's wrong to keep people out of work, Mr. Jane."

Jane finally looks her in the eye, an amused expression on his face as he presses his hand against his chest, "I'm sorry for any inconvenience I have personally caused you and your sister," He begins sardonically, "but you needn't worry, we've gotten everything we needed from Mariel. I'm certain she's on her way back to work as we speak."

There's a tense moment of silence in which Jane receives no comment from Agata, so he leans in closer, smiling knowingly at the dark haired woman, "You were the oldest, weren't you? Your mother probably died in child birth, so you were left to raise all your siblings. That's why you knew that Mariel would lie for you, because you were the one to teach her about loyalty, about sticking together."

Agata nearly recoils at his words, but she composes herself. Though her dark irises reflect indignation, years of practiced servility and respect will not allow her a more angry reaction.

"I don't have to listen to this. If you'll excuse me-…"

The chair screeches as she makes the move to stand up, but Cho immediately halts her.

"This is a murder investigation, Ms. Espejo. You may leave only when you have answered all our questions."

Agata pauses, glare oscillating between Jane and Cho, before she acquiesces and returns to her seat.

"It was very clever what you did, asking Mariel to be your alibi for both Thursday and Friday nights. You couldn't have known for sure that we figured out that Kyla came home Thursday night, but it's always best to be prepared. Your father taught you that, didn't he? Though I'd imagine he'd been referring to the summer droughts, not covering up a murder."

The previous flash of fear in the woman's eye now seems to take over her entire demeanor. Her shoulders slump slightly of their own accord and her hands find themselves wringing together under pressure.

Jane notes the remarkable similarities between the two sisters, although it's clear Agata has more composure than her younger sibling. She opens her mouth to say something, no doubt a denial of some sort, but Jane stops her.

"There's no point in lying to us, Agata. Mariel told us everything."

The moment her finger curls around her cross, Jane knows that she will talk. A definite sign of guilt, the gesture should have tipped him off the first time he noticed it during their initial interview with the Creggs. He'd been so focused on Jeff Cregg's strange behavior that he'd merely catalogued the observation, returning to it much later.

Now it gives him a familiar sense of assurance.

"She could not have told you everything because she knows nothing." Agata Espejo explains calmly, although the disappointment and indignation she feels for her sister seeps through her composure.

"Are you implying that there's something you know that she doesn't?" Cho asks in his usually stoic voice, which catches the housekeeper off guard, eyes flickering in alarm between the two men. Jane smiles inwardly.

Leave it to Cho and his stonewalled expression to break down the suspect. Though she's trying to remain poised and polite, Agata Espejo seems completely lost now, definitely uncertain. Jane takes advantage of that.

"We know you did it, Agata. You were the only one of the four people who had access to the house whose alibi we cannot confirm. You had your sister lie for you, hoping that we would divert all our attention to Mr. and Mrs. Cregg as possible suspects. The only thing I don't understand is why. You obviously did not plan to do it, so what happened that made you angry enough to kill Kyla? Did she strike you first? Perhaps it was self defense? Because if it was, we can work something out, you don't need to-…"

"No!" Agata exclaims, showing the first overt signs of distress as she interrupts Jane.

The tears glossing her vision seem to signify that she's overwhelmed by his rapid questioning.

"It wasn't Kyla's fault."

"Then what happened, Ms. Espejo?" Cho asks politely, but with a certain air of detachment.

Agata Espejo glances down at the table for a moment, and when she meets Jane's stare, her eyes are ablaze with anger, "I raised her since she was just a baby. She had everything, and she runs away, why? Because her daddy wasn't really hers?"

Slowly Jane glances over at Cho, only to see the same flicker of surprise in his expression. Briefly, he wonders what Cregg must be thinking as he watches this unravel.

"What?" Agata asks loudly, her accent seeping into her words. "You think I didn't know? I've been with the family for almost seventeen years now. I keep what I see to myself, but I see it, I am not ignorant. How do you think I feel when I raise a child and she turn her back on her family like that? How do you think?"

Her eyes shine with unshed tears as the question lingers in the air, unanswered. She's looking at them, but Jane doubts she actually sees anything in front of her.

He hates this part of interrogations. People are always at their most interesting when they're hiding something, not when their emotions are on display. He would leave now if it weren't for his natural curiosity. He wants to know what provoked this seemingly good-natured, well-mannered woman to kill.

"Did Kyla tell you why she ran away when you saw her?" Jane probes and after only a moment of hesitation, Agata nods.

"I'd forgotten my scarf when I left at around 8 pm on Thursday. When I got back to the house, everything was fine, but when I was leaving, I heard a noise upstairs. I knew Mr. and Mrs. Cregg were long gone, so I went up and there she was. Mi hermosa niñita…I missed her so much. I wanted to stay and talk, but she said she was in a hurry. She said she would have time to talk the next day, gave me address of that club. She begged me not to tell her parents. I thought it would be okay, I thought she came back for good, but when I went to that club, saw her perform those disgusting dances, and with men? I wonder she really gave up her education, opportunity, her parents for thees? She was acting like a whore, and all I wanted was to speak to her, ask her to come home."

"She didn't plan to come home, did she?" Cho asks as soon as Agata pauses.

Large rivulets of tears run down her cheeks, but despite his discomfort, Jane can't look away, can't leave the room. He's slowly piecing together what happened and refuses to move.

"She say her parents betray her, say she doesn't want to live a lie. I became very angry. Tell her she doesn't know what she's losing. I know Mr. Cregg, he loved that girl more than anything, even though she was not his. I could not handle my anger. She tell me to leave, tell me that if I told her parents where she went, she would make up lies and get me fired."

"That made you snap, her being very ungrateful like that?" Cho, who is seemingly unaffected by the woman's tearful confession, presses further.

"Yes, yes it did." Agata replies, this time more composed, anger overpowering her sadness.

"She tell me to leave, to go away. She turned her back on me. Where I come from, if she did that, she be beaten unconscious for her show of disrespect."

"And you decided to teach her to respect her elders, didn't you?" Cho pushes, expression unmoving even as more tears leak out from Agata's dark eyes and she grips her cross again.

"I did not mean to." She says in panic, hoping to extract some empathy from the two men, "I was not thinking when I hit her. It was not like I wanted to her to die. I loved her, Mi bebé."

By the end of her explanation, Agata Espejo seems to have lost all her resolve, and although throughout the interrogation Jane did feel a smidgen of sympathy for her, the flash of Kyla Cregg's lifeless, youthful body sprawled unnaturally on the dirty ground jolts him awake. It reminds him that the woman in front of him committed a heinous crime, and there should be no sympathy spared for her.

"If you did not mean to," He leans forward again, though this time his blue eyes are devoid of mirth and his jaw is set, "then how come Kyla is dead?"

The question startles Agata enough for her to stare wide eyed and speechless at Jane. He holds her gaze for a long moment, but then unexpectedly stands up and grabs his blazer off the back of the chair.

"Nice speaking with you Agata. I wish you well." His voice is free of sarcasm, but there's no sincerity in it either. Instead, he nods at Cho and slips out of the interrogation room, taking a much-needed breath as he shuts the door behind him.

xxx

"There you are," Lisbon says by way of greeting as she slips into her office, shutting the door behind her. Jane opens one eye, smiling at her lazily from where he reclines on her couch.

"The Creggs wanted to thank you, and you mysteriously disappeared." She adds teasingly as she makes her way over to her desk, placing the Cregg case file on top of her organized mess.

"Meh, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. My man, Cho though."

Jane's voice trails off, and Lisbon chuckles under her breath, equally as impressed with her second in command as she is amused by Jane's misplaced modesty. This isn't the first time she's noticed Jane's shyness around victims' families, but she's never done more than tease him about it. However, as she starts to erase the white board, the relief and satisfaction she gets after they close a case gives her a certain confidence and she turns around, intent on asking him about it.

However, a knock on the door halts her.

Rigsby sticks his head in, eyes twinkling in anticipation, "Food's here, boss."

He doesn't notice Jane idling on her couch, and Lisbon nods, smiling at his enthusiasm.

"Thanks."

After they're alone again, the question seems almost inappropriate, so Lisbon merely places the eraser back near the now blank board and wipes her hands, turning to look at Jane who once again feigns sleep.

"So shall we?" She asks, gesturing towards the bullpen.

Jane opens his eyes, "hmm?"

"Case closed Chinese, it's probably your favorite. C'mon." She walks around her desk, expecting him to follow but he merely sits up from the couch, stretching lazily.

She's already at her door when he speaks. "Actually, I'm going to have to take a rain check."

"Oh."

Lisbon tries to hide her disappointment. It's nothing that really has to do with Jane, she tries to convince herself; it's just the fact that case closed meals are a team tradition and somehow it will feel less satisfying without everyone there. Sensing her displeasure, Jane walks up behind her, placing a rueful hand on her shoulder, which forces her to turn around.

When she does, Lisbon is caught off guard by the unwary softness in his dark blue eyes.

"I'm serious about the rain check." He says smoothly, a hint of a smile stretching his lips as he watches confusion and simultaneous relief swirl in her green gaze.

He doesn't want to disappoint her, and nothing would be more pleasing to him at the moment than sharing a meal with Lisbon and the team. However, with all these revelations turning over in his head, he knows he has to do this one thing before he finds a million reasons not to.

The warmth from his touch is a little inebriating and a little too dangerous, so Lisbon steps back, ducking her head away from him as she opens the door. The quietude is disrupted by the bustle outside, the real world infringing on their private moment, but Jane keeps his eyes on her retreating form.

He's still in the doorway of her office when Lisbon looks over her shoulder, a teasing smirk on her lips, "You better not get yourself into any trouble. I didn't have lunch today, so I might be too busy eating to bail you out of jail."

Jane laughs heartily before sidling up to her.

"I wouldn't dare dream of coming in between you and your Singapore noodles, Lisbon."

He whispers playfully in her ear before walking away. His warm breath seems to linger in the air around her, and Lisbon stands, gazing into the direction where Jane disappeared long after he's gone.

"You coming, boss?" Rigsby calls out to her from the bullpen, a takeout box and chopsticks already in his hands.

Lisbon nods, an amused smile on her face as she realizes with some measure of welcomed normalcy that with Rigsby's hearty appetite, soon there may not be any noodles left for her at all.

TBC...


	9. Part IX

**In Lieu of Retrospection**

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Rating: T

Spoiler: Six months after 2.22 (Red Letter)

A/N: So here's the final chapter! I hope you guys all like it. Thank you for great amount of feedback I've received. It's made me contemplate doing a sequel to this. I'm kind of excited about planning another case and continuing exploring Jane and Lisbon's relationship, as it progresses from here on out. As always, thank you Rach for the awesome inspiration and Grace for betaing this entire story in less than two weeks. You guys have been incredible and the readers have been so supportive, I couldn't ask for anything better. Enjoy!

xxx

Part IX

His hand hovers over the doorbell for a moment, and it's really no surprise because he just spent about fifteen minutes sitting in his car, contemplating just turning around and driving back to CBI.

He's not even sure why he's here, but ever since Lisbon's comment over dinner several nights ago, he's been mulling over the same question in his head, unable to come up with a response even now.

Thus, although he's never one to admit defeat or expose a fraction of vulnerability, especially in front of the person he's about to see, Jane finds himself depressing the button that signals his arrival without another thought.

Despite his observation skills being his niche, he's aware that not everything is within his realm of comprehension, and some things, like relationships, are better understood by a woman. He'd never resort to this but he simply has to know, and the not knowing is making him a little crazed.

He's deep in thought, but as soon as the door opens, he tears his eyes away from the floor, meeting a soft but amused blue gaze. It should annoy him that she doesn't seem the least bit surprised to see him, but then again, feigning psychic abilities really forces one to practice one's poker face.

And Kristina Frye has one of the most impenetrable poker faces that he's ever encountered.

"Patrick Jane." She says in a smooth, controlled voice, arms crossed comfortably over her torso as she leans against the doorway, "I'm assuming you're not here because you have finally surrendered your cynicism, so to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"You're the psychic," Jane says cheekily, though there's no smile on his face. "You tell me."

Kristina chuckles softly before stepping back into her house, expecting him to follow, "I communicate with the dead, Patrick. The living, well, they're not my greatest area of expertise, but I can definitely try."

She says this to him over her shoulder as she passes the large foyer into the living room, and Jane has no choice but to close the door behind himself and follow. During their brief courtship, he'd been invited here for tea once, but he never took her up on her offer.

Now as his eyes sweep over the modern décor and floor to ceiling windows, he can't help noting how vastly different this place is from the one Kristina was living and working in when they first met during the Rosemary Tennant case.

"I'd ask how you're doing, but I think I can gather that for myself."

She turns around to look at him, the same confident and self-assured expression on her face and this time Jane lets himself smile at her, realizing with some measure of assurance that Kristina Frye has not changed at all.

"Well thank you, Patrick. Would you like some tea?"

"No, no." Jane declines as he steps over to a bookshelf. "I won't be long." He adds, though he doesn't appear in a hurry to ask the redhead what's been bothering him for days now.

He slides his hands into his pockets, trying to give off an air of nonchalance as he scans her reading material, most of which is psychically oriented. However, despite his focus, he still feels Kristina approach until she's leaning on the bookshelf, right in his line of vision.

"Patrick, what are you here for?" She asks quietly, revealing just a hint of vulnerability as she searches his face for answers. "We haven't spoken in months."

Jane stops his perusing to look at Frye. Discounting the complete awkwardness of their first date, this is probably the most honest interaction they've had, and it makes him let down at least a bit of his defenses. After all, if he's here, looking for answers, he should at least acknowledge that he may be at fault for the abrupt way they ended things.

"I am sorry about that, Kristina. I should have called, or done something." He doesn't like exposing uncertainty but the words are sincere and so they tumble out of his mouth before he can stop them.

"Don't worry about it," She says, lip curved slightly upward, "I had a great time with you, Patrick, but no offense, I wasn't expecting much." Her eyes fall not so subtly on his wedding band before she pushes off the bookshelf and walks over to the couch.

"So how is Agent Lisbon? How is the rest of the team?"

He meets her gaze right away and hopes his surprise goes undetected. He's not sure if she's just being polite or if there's more to her comment, and that thought leaves him amused and slightly uncomfortable. Two emotions he's always associated with the woman watching him expectedly.

"She's fine; they're fine." He says, stepping closer to the middle of the room where Kristina sits perched on the arm of a love seat. She's still looking at him, expecting him to say something, and Jane shuffles his feet and glances down at the polished floor with a new found interest.

This certainly isn't his usual demeanor.

Normally, he's more composed, suave, and relaxed; never so nervous about anything. However, Frye's allusion to his wedding ring has given him something else to think about, bringing old issues to the forefront of his mind and making him question the legitimacy of his newly uncovered awareness.

Running his thumb over the wedding ring once more, Jane meets Kristina's gaze.

"Is that why nothing materialized from us dating?" He asks, searching her expression for any telling signs.

"Well it definitely didn't encourage things." Frye admits, shrugging her shoulders as she speaks, "but it's not really the cause of anything, Patrick. I understand why you, why we both lost interest. For you, I represent everything you still can't come to terms with about your past, and it makes you uncomfortable. You don't see me as being on your side. As much as you appeared to enjoy our time together, you were constantly on guard, and that's not conducive to any relationship."

Jane listens to her mutely, words seeping in and triggering a swirl of thoughts in his head. She makes incredible sense, not that he ever doubted that she would, and yet her explanation is so clear, so simple, he wonders how he ever missed it himself.

Nevertheless, having her so clearly but casually explain her perspective on it lifts the weight he's been caring for several days from his shoulders.

"Yes." He says, a wan smile tugging on his lips, "I do suppose you're right."

"No hard feelings, Patrick, I mean it." Kristina assures after a moment of Jane shifting awkwardly in her living room.

Jane opens his mouth to speak, but the loud chiming of the door bell halts his train of thought.

Kristina glances at her wrist watch with a hint of recognition, "Oh that must be my 7 o'clock."

"I won't keep you then."

Kristina smiles before walking him out of the living room.

They bid each other good bye in the foyer before Frye opens the door to reveal her next client. Jane nods his greeting to the elderly man before escaping into the cool evening air.

He can feel Kristina's eyes on him, but he keeps walking to his car. He still has a lot of thinking to do, but at least he's gotten some clarity now, and most definitely closure.

He knows what he wants and it's not the woman watching him from her porch, so there's really no reason for him to turn around.

xxx

He spends most of the night driving around, trying to make sense of all the thoughts keeping him awake, the talk with Kristina Frye weighing heavily on his mind.

Every so often the moonlight reflects off his wedding band, making him question yet again whether he is ready to explore his newfound feelings for another woman, when he isn't sure he is over his late wife.

That's probably why he hadn't seen this coming. He couldn't possibly have predicted that while he'd been so focused on executing his plans of vengeance against Red John, someone could slip so deeply past his defenses that he would be rendered powerless in the aftermath.

Kristina Frye had been an experiment, a test to see if he was still a man underneath his layers of baggage, guilt, and self-loathing. In the end, however, Jane knows the chemistry wasn't there; Frye's carefully measured words were just additional proof of that.

By early dawn he makes his way into his apartment, finding it just as cold and impersonal as ever. Besides his impromptu breakfast here with Lisbon two days before, over the weekend he's only ever come here for a change of clothing and a quick nap.

He remembers how nervous he felt letting her in here, letting her see where he went outside of work. He'd done it because he wanted her to know that their friendship wasn't one-sided. It must have taken a lot on her part to start inviting him over to her home, especially after the doubt cast on their relationship by Hightower's machinations.

It's close to 8 am when he pulls into the CBI parking lot. He finds a parking spot easily, and when he gets out of the car, his eyes fall on the one person who has been occupying his thoughts all night.

If possible, Lisbon is a greater creature of habit than he is, and Jane knows that on Tuesday mornings he can always find her at the coffee cart outside their building. The weekday pastry special is a bear claw, and she does yoga on Monday nights so she can afford the indulgence.

Now, she's standing in the short line, nose buried in her Blackberry, oblivious to the world around her. It gives him a few moments to admire her. She's wearing black pants and a dark blue shirt, reminding Jane that the color compliments her lovely green eyes and pale complexion. Her hair is long and curly, twisting in the wind as an early morning breeze sweeps past her.

Eventually, the line advances, and she must feel his eyes on her because as she looks up from her phone, her gaze instinctively falls on him. The moment their eyes meet, Jane feels a tug on his insides, a flicker of warmth that he's certainly never felt around Kristina Frye.

He returns Lisbon's smile and walks towards her without hesitation. She's already putting in her order when he sidles up to her, and his hand finds its way to the small of her back of its own accord.

Without a word, Lisbon orders a medium Earl Grey tea and asks the vendor to pour the milk in first.

"That's very generous of you," Jane leans in closer, whispering in her ear teasingly.

"Least I can do since you treated me to breakfast Saturday morning." Lisbon quips back, eyes glinting with mirth as she hands him his tea.

Jane takes a satisfied sip before replying, "Meh, that was nothing; you had to cook your own. I'll have to treat you to a real Jane breakfast one of these days."

Lisbon ducks her head for a second, before looking up again, a little uncertainty swimming in the jade of her irises, "Is that an invitation?"

With a thrill, Jane realizes that this might actually be Teresa Lisbon flirting with him, and his smile only widens.

"Only if you say yes." he replies cheekily, but the message beneath his lighthearted words is clear.

"Then you've got yourself a deal," Lisbon smiles back, recognition flickering in her eyes as she accepts her coffee from the vendor.

"Shall we?" He asks, gesturing towards HQ, and Lisbon nods, already falling into step with him.

As they reach the front door, Lisbon can't resist and takes a small bite from her pastry, sighing in satisfaction.

"You know, it's quite rude not to offer me some." Jane comments, feigning disappointment.

Lisbon rolls her eyes at him in response, "Oh please, I already bought you tea, and you don't even like bear claws."

"Oh really? How do you know that? Maybe you're just using that as justification to cover up your lack of manners." Jane says matter-of-factly, and Lisbon narrows her green gaze at him.

"You're annoying, you know that?"

"You wouldn't have it any other way." Jane declares, grinning widely as they walk into the security check line.

"You're also childish and attention-seeking." Lisbon continues, facing him.

"But you love it." Jane counters just as swiftly.

"Oh yes, your petulance excites me so much. I'm left bereft without it." Lisbon deadpans, taking another bite of her pastry if only to spite the blue eyed man besides her. "Can't you go annoy someone else?"

"Never."

Lisbon scowls in response, shooting another retort his way, which Jane deflects with expert ease and a teasing grin; neither one notices that the line has moved a long time ago.

END


End file.
